A felony is determined by whether the crime is punishable by a year or more in prison
A felony is much more severe than a misdemeanor. In many cases, the same type of offense could be filed and prosecuted as either a misdemeanor or a felony.
Prosecutorial discretion
It is often up to the prosecutor’s discretion. For example, the crime of petty larceny, stealing an item worth less than a specific dollar amount, is a misdemeanor. However, stealing an item over that dollar amount is considered grand theft, a felony.
Examples of felonies include:
- robbery
- carjacking
- kidnapping
- murder
- voluntary manslaughter
- grand larceny
- child molestation
