A felony is a type of crime that is considered greater than a misdemeanor.  The crimes encompassed under the term felony are those such as murder, rape and burglary.  Some crimes that would ordinarily be termed a misdemeanor but involved loss of life, excessive loss of property or involve permanent injury to another person can all be upgraded to felony status.  It is important to know your rights, the charges against you and the severity of the crimes you stand accused of before you talk to anyone other than your lawyer.  Your lawyer can find out all of the pertinent information and go with you to arraignment to enter your plea.

The penalties for Felony offenses are higher, often compelling long prison terms.  In many states there are “Three Strikes” laws that say if you have 3 violent felonies on your record, you go to prison for the rest of your natural life.  Depending on the severity of the crime and the state in which you are on trial, you may even be facing the death penalty.   If you are facing a Felony charge, it is imperative that you retain an attorney immediately.  Exercise your Miranda rights and insist on a lawyer being present before you will answer any questions.  This will stop all questions by the arresting officers and enable you to have council present before you incriminate yourself.