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Massachusetts Felony Offenses

As a Massachusetts criminal defense, Attorney Michael DelSignore will gladly explain to you the difference between Felony and misdemeanor offenses.

The difference between a felony and a misdemeanor offense is that a felony offense carries with it a maximum penalty of over 2.5 years in the house of correction or allows for a sentence of State prison time. Also, a felony conviction will subject you to the requirement of having to submit to a DNA test.

A felony offense is the most serious type of crime. There is vast variety in degrees of felonies and seriousness of felony charges. Once a charge meets the definition of felony under Massachusetts law, a conviction of the crime would carry all the potential consequences of a felony conviction. While many employers will allow people to work with misdemeanor convictions, felony convictions can be a complete bar to many types of employment.

Here are some examples of felony offense:

Rape, indecent assault and battery, distribution of cocaine, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and larceny over $ 250.00 to name a few felony offense.

What Court hears felony offenses?

A Massachusetts felony offense can be heard either in district court or superior court. If a felony is heard in district court, the maximum sentence that can be imposed is 2.5 years in the house of correction. If the Commonwealth seeks an indictment and brings the case to superior court, the Commonwealth can seek State prison time and jail time up to the statutory maximum punishment.

Massachusetts felony offenses require a strong defense and an exhaustive preparation for trial. In some cases, a prosecutor may be willing to agree to reduce a charge to a misdemeanor offense in order for the case to be resolved. In other cases, to avoid a felony conviction a trial before a judge or jury will be required.

Superior Court Felony Offenses

The Massachusetts Superior Court docket is made up almost exclusively of felony offenses. A misdemeanor offense can go along with a felony offense and be heard in superior court, but if the case is in superior court, it will be a felony offenses and typically a serious case. The district attorneys will indict cases, moving them to superior court if any of the following situations arise:

  1. The charge has no district court jurisdiction.
  2. The charge has concurrent jurisdiction but the defendant has a lengthy record.
  3. The seriousness of the case requires it to be heard in superior court.

If you have questions about whether a criminal charge is a Felony or Misdemeanor or would like to discuss contesting the charge in court, feel free to call Attorney DelSignore at 781-686-5924.

Massachusetts Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog - Felony offenses
Client Reviews
★★★★★
Michael was very professional and explained the process clearly and told us to be patient. After one year the charges got dismissed in the trial. Excellent knowledge of the court systems in the area of Boston. Would highly recommend him Ashwani
★★★★★
A careless decision on my part left me facing charges which would have severely hampered my ability to stay employed and support myself. But attorney DelSignore's skillful analysis and challenging of the evidence against me resulted in a conviction on a lesser charge. Now I'll be able to go on with my life, having learned a lesson I'll never forget. Thank you, Michael. Scott
★★★★★
Mike stuck with my case for 3.5 years and always kept me informed regarding the status. Ultimately, because of his due diligence, we ended up with an OUI not guilty verdict. This case could have gone many ways but his thorough review of the case and exceptional preparedness for trial ultimately drove a positive outcome. Thank you Mike! David
★★★★★
Michael DelSignore did an amazing job with my case! He was always available to answer any questions I had and helped walked me through the entire process. I could not have done it without them! I highly recommend choosing this law firm to deal with your legal needs, you will not be dissatisfied. Ashley
★★★★★
I cannot express the gratitude towards Michael for his amazing work and help. It was a very stressful event and they certainly put me at as much ease as possible. From start to finish it took 14 months and all the way through they were both very engaged with me. Today was worth the wait, Michael was great in court and I was rightfully found not guilty. I would recommend Michael over and over again. Claire