You may wonder, “what is a felony?” if you are under investigation or have been charged with a crime. In Minnesota, a felony is any offense punishable by a year or more to a lifetime imprisonment. Felonies also carry steep fines. Common felonies in the state are murder and manslaughter, aggravated assault, armed burglary, criminal sexual conduct, and theft of property worth $1,000 or more.
On top of prison time and fines, a felony conviction can result in hidden consequences that last long after you have completed your sentence. These consequences include limited housing options, trouble securing employment, and loss of some civil rights like voting and jury service. Seeking legal advice and representation from a knowledgeable felony lawyer as soon as possible can positively impact your case. A skilled lawyer will carefully examine the evidence against you, develop a defense strategy, and guide you on what to do at every stage of the criminal justice process.
If you have been charged with a felony in Minneapolis, MN, trust the seasoned felony lawyers at Keller Criminal Defense Attorneys to defend you aggressively. Request a free initial consultation by calling (952) 913-1421.
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Types of Felonies in Minnesota
Felonies constitute violent acts or cases of significant financial damage. The main types of felonies in Minnesota include:
Violent felonies
Violent felonies are some of the most serious crimes in the state. Murder, assault, and rape and sexual assault are examples of violent felonies. Murder falls into three degrees: first-degree, second-degree, and third-degree. First-degree murder is the most severe and carries the harshest penalties than second and third-degree murder.
Assault becomes a felony-level crime when a firearm or another dangerous weapon is involved. Minnesota refers to rape and sexual assault as “criminal sexual conduct,” which has five degrees or levels. First-degree all the way to fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct are felony-level offenses.
Controlled Substances Crimes
Laws on controlled substances are harsh. Penalties for crimes related to controlled substances are severe and life-altering. Controlled substance offenses fall into five categories based on their severity. 1st-degree controlled substance crimes are the most severe, while 5th-degree offenses are the least severe.
These felonies constitute a variety of crimes related to the manufacture, possession, distribution, use, or sale of drugs categorized as controlled substances. These drugs include cocaine, heroin, marijuana, amphetamines, and narcotics.
White-Collar Crimes
White-collar felonies are usually non-violent offenses happening in a business or financial setting. Offenders are often individuals of a higher social ranking or those holding senior positions in a business or government entity. These crimes are sometimes called corporate or economic crimes.
Fraud, embezzlement, money laundering, and extortion are the most common white-collar felonies. Fraud constitutes activities designed to trick a person for financial benefit. Examples of these activities are identity theft, forgery, and counterfeiting.
Embezzlement happens when an employee unlawfully takes money from the employer and uses it for personal gain. It may also occur when someone tasked with managing funds misappropriates a portion of those funds.
Money laundering occurs when an individual or organization tries to conceal unlawfully acquired money. This concealment may, for instance, involve putting illegally obtained money in an account containing legally acquired funds.
Extortion happens when a person illegally obtains money from another person through threats, intimidation, or coercion. Common forms of extortion include threats of violence, blackmail, and providing “protection” for the offender’s financial gain.
Traffic Felonies
Traffic felonies are grievous offenses happening when someone is operating, controlling, or driving a motor vehicle. An example is vehicular assault, which occurs when a person uses a vehicle to injure or threaten bodily harm to another person. Vehicular assault may also occur when someone operates a car negligently and harms someone else as a result.
Some hit-and-run accidents also result in felony-level charges. This is especially true when a hit-and-run accident causes catastrophic injuries, fatalities, and significant property damage.
Driving while impaired (DWI) is a serious and common traffic crime in Minnesota. The state classifies this crime as petty misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor, or felony. The differences between misdemeanor and felony drunk driving charges lie in the level of risk to other road users and the severity of the harm caused.
Property Felonies
This category constitutes crimes related to stealing, damaging, or destroying valuable property or assets. The three main types of property felonies include arson, burglary, and grand theft. Burglary involves breaking or accessing a property with the intent to steal or commit another crime. Arson is deliberately burning a house or another building with criminal intent. Grand theft, on the other hand, involves stealing property valued at $1,000 or more.
Minnesota recorded 1,967 property crimes per 100,000 residents in 2022. This figure surpassed the national average by 1%.
Serious Crimes Against the State
Some crimes against the state qualify as felonies. Treason and espionage fall in this category. Treason involves starting a war against the state or supporting its enemies by offering them aid and comfort. Espionage entails unlawfully collecting, possessing, and sharing state secrets with a foreign entity.
What Are the Punishments for Felonies in Minnesota?
Felonies are the most serious crimes in Minnesota. They carry the harshest punishments than all other crime levels. Anyone can face a felony charge – even a minor can be charged with a felony.
A felony conviction may lead to imprisonment for a year or at least $3,000 in fines. The harshest penalty for this offense is life imprisonment. Life sentences are, however, rare in Minnesota.
Most felony convictions in the state lead to either a stayed or executed jail time, expressed in months. The length of the jail time depends on the crime you committed and your state’s sentencing guidelines.
Consequences of Having a Felony Conviction in Minnesota
The consequences of a felony conviction in Minnesota go beyond the legal penalties. They affect almost every aspect of your life. These consequences include:
Permanent Criminal Record
A criminal record will hang over your head for the remaining years of your life once you get a felony conviction in Minnesota. Every background screening will reveal your past convictions. What’s more, law enforcement and court officers can still access your record even if the judge grants your expungement request after a few years. The potential of having a permanent criminal record is one of the main ways a felony charge can impact your child.
Employment
Your employer may terminate your employment soon after the employer learns that you are facing a felony charge. Discuss with your lawyer before disclosing your criminal case to the employer. It is possible to keep your job if you are strategic about the timing of disclosure and follow your lawyer’s advice.
A felony conviction, however, will lower your employment prospects. The reason is that many employers are unwilling to hire individuals with criminal convictions on their records. This is despite the Criminal Offenders Rehabilitation Act barring them from denying individuals with criminal records access to employment opportunities. They usually perform background checks and exclude those with criminal records from interview shortlists.
Loss of Civil Rights
A felony conviction will bar you from voting, possessing or carrying a gun, offering jury service, or acting as a legal interpreter. It will also bar you from serving in a public office. If you are a public office holder, you will get removed from that office immediately after getting convicted of a felony.
Limited Housing Options
Property owners often reject housing applications from applicants with a conviction in their criminal record. Individuals convicted of crimes involving controlled substances are prohibited from residing in public houses for at least five years. Securing rental housing in secure neighborhoods in Minnesota can be hard for a convicted felon.
Financial Constraints
A felony conviction will leave you and your family with serious financial constraints. These constraints will stem from legal fees, case-related expenses, fines, and lost earnings while in prison. Securing loan approvals will be hard if you have a criminal record. Your car insurance rates may also increase significantly.
Loss of Professional Licenses
A clean criminal record is compulsory for professions that require workers to carry professional licenses. Some examples of these professions are engineers, medical practitioners, accountants, commercial truck drivers, and lawyers.
A felony conviction will bar you from obtaining a professional license for such professions. Your professional license may also get revoked or suspended if you have one already.
How a Felony Defense Lawyer Can Help You
Retain a felony lawyer immediately after you get charged or find out the authorities are investigating you. Your lawyer will assess the evidence the prosecutor has compiled against you, brainstorm legal defenses, and tell you what to do next.
Your lawyer will develop a defense strategy that addresses the circumstances of your criminal case. This strategy may involve filing a motion to request the court to suppress specific evidence, casting doubt on witness credibility, and engaging the prosecution in a plea bargain.
Seek legal help from Keller Criminal Defense Attorneys if you have been charged with a felony in Minnesota. Our skilled criminal defense team is ready to protect your rights and skillfully fight your charges. Contact us for a free initial consultation.
