In Texas, crimes are placed into two groups: misdemeanors and felonies. Of the two, felonies are more serious offenses. Both misdemeanors and felonies are thoroughly explained under Title 3, Chapter 12 of the Texas Penal Code, but for our purposes, we are going to focus on felonies.
There are five classes of felonies in Texas:
- Capital felonies: Punishable by death or life without parole.
- First degree felonies: Punishable by 5 to 99 years in prison and by a fine not to exceed $10,000.
- Second degree felonies: Punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison and by a fine not to exceed $10,000.
- Third degree felonies: Punishable by 2 to 10 years in prison and by a fine not to exceed $10,000.
- State jail felonies: Punishable by 180 days to 2 years in prison and by a fine not to exceed $10,000.
Examples of Felonies in Texas
As you can imagine, there are numerous crimes that are felonies in Texas. Many violent, drug, sexually-motivated, and theft-related crimes are categorized as felonies. Typically, the existence of “aggravating circumstances,” such as a prior criminal record, severe injuries to the victim, or a high valued item stolen all contribute to the degree of felony charged.
Examples of felonies in Texas:
- Murder
- Capital murder
- Aggravated assault
- Delivery of marijuana
- Aggravated sexual assault
- Intoxication manslaughter
- Reckless injury to a child
- Credit or debit card abuse
- DWI with child passenger
- Theft of property worth $20,000 or more
Like other states, many of the crimes in Texas can be prosecuted as a misdemeanor or a felony offense. Assault is one of these examples. Under Title 5, Chapter 22 of the Texas Penal Code, assault can be prosecuted as a misdemeanor or a felony (aggravated assault) depending on the facts of the case.
Related: How Are Crimes in Texas Classified?
Theft offenses under Title 7, Chapter 31 are the same way. Theft can be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony. So, if you’re facing felony charges, it would benefit you to see if the charges can be reduced to a misdemeanor through a plea bargain, if not dropped altogether. It all depends on your guilt or innocence and the evidence against you. In any case, our goal is to help you achieve the most favorable outcome possible.
Contact The Zendeh Del Law Firm, PLLC to meet with a Plano criminal defense lawyer who will fight hard on your behalf.