In a Word Document, Times New Roman 12pt Font, Double Spacing, do the following:
1. Explain the difference between a felony and a misdemeanor.
Misdemeanors are harsher than violations. Misdemeanors can bring you less than a year in jail under federal and most state law. Misdemeanors are crimes that are neither felonies nor infractions.
Like infractions, misdemeanors are grouped. Under federal sentencing standards, the lessons are predicated on jail time. Class A misdemeanor: more than six months, less than a year. Class B misdemeanor: more than 30 days, less than six months. Class C misdemeanor: 30-day minimum, 5-day maximum.
Most people serve time in a county jail, not a high-security prison. Prosecutors have a lot of freedom to charge crimes, punish them, and make plea deals. Felonies include violent or physical injury. Felonies include murder, manslaughter, assault, and kidnapping. Some nonviolent crimes are nevertheless harmful. Grand theft, not paying taxes, lying, taking someone’s work, and violating parole or probation are felonies. Some offenses are felonies or misdemeanors. The prosecutor decides based on his or her own judgment and factors that made the offense worse, such as weapon usage.
2. Explain the difference between the “probable cause” standard used for arrest and the “beyond a reasonable doubt” standard used for conviction.
3. Most attorneys have their client plea “not guilty” at arraignment. Explain why this is the case.
4. Explain the Exclusionary Rule as it applies to evidence.
5. Summarize the “Miranda Rights.”
6. To what discoverable items/information is a defendant entitled?
