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Penalties for Wisconsin criminal charges differ depending on the severity of the misdemeanor or felony. The main diffreences in penalties are the size of the fine and the length of incarceration. Penalties could be a $25 forfeiture, to up to a $10,000 Class A misdemeanor fine (plus possible jail time) or even life in prison or up to 60 years in prison for Class A and Class B felonies respectively.
What are the differences between felonies, WI misdemeanors, and non-criminal offenses like forfeiture violations? For one thing, each type of offense comes with different penalties. Find out what kind of jail time and fines you could be facing:
Grieve Law is well-known throughout Wisconsin for getting charges and penalties drastically reduced, or even dropped completely. If you’re facing charges for criminal offenses or non-criminal violations, call for a free legal consultation.
You Are Only Guilty If You Are Convicted®
The difference between a misdemeanor and a Wisconsin felony boils down to the potential penalties and the procedures in court. Anytime someone is charged with a crime, whether a misdemeanor or felony, incarceration is always a possibility. The type of incarceration depends on the type of crime. Whether you are facing a misdemeanor charge or a felony charge, the maximum penalties will involve jail time. The amount of jail time is dependent upon the severity of the crime and what class it falls under.
Felonies and misdemeanors follow different tracks through the court system. Traditionally a misdemeanor will have an initial appearance to set bail and arraignment; a pretrial to ensure both parties have everything they need and can negotiate; and a motion hearing. Depending on the results of the motion hearing, the case can continue forward to trial or plea and sentencing, or it can be set aside for the state to evaluate the strength of evidence still left in the case.
A felony requires more steps through the court system. First, the court sets bail and bond conditions at the initial appearance. The arraignment, however, is saved until after the preliminary hearing. The preliminary hearing ensures extra safeguards for those charged with felonies. At the preliminary hearing, the state must show probable cause for the offense charged before the case can proceed forward. A defendant can either waive their right and acknowledge there is probable cause OR have a hearing where the state has the burden to show probable cause (a felony was probably committed and the defendant probably was the one who committed the offense). The state does not have to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt yet at the preliminary hearing; the burden here is much lower.
With years of experience as prosecutors, the criminal defense lawyers at Grieve Law know exactly how the other side thinks. Start with a free consultation, and if you stick with us, we’ll make sure you get the best possible outcome in your misdemeanor or felony case.
Charged with a felony or misdemeanor? Call our award-winning team of drug charge defense attorneys at Grieve Law for a free initial consultation.
