| The Criminal Division of the Linn County Attorney's Office is divided into three levels of criminal charges: simple misdemeanors, indictable misdemeanors and felony crimes.
Simple misdemeanors are less-serious crimes. They are punishable by a fine ranging between $50 up to $500 and/or jail time of less than thirty (30) days. Defendants facing jail time are entitled to a court-appointed attorney upon request.
Often, misdemeanors are handled by abbreviated procedures. Misdemeanor traffic offenses may have pre-set penalities in the form of scheduled fines. The consequences for simple misdemeanor convictions are generally less severe. A person with a misdemeanor crime on his/her record may still be able to serve on a jury, practice in a profession and vote.
Indictable misdemeanors are crimes for which the punishment is usually a fine and/or up to one year in the county jail. They are often referred to as serious or aggravated misdemeanors. Often a crime that is an indictable misdemeanor for the first offense becomes a felony for repeated offenses.
Felony crimes are serious offenses punishable by a heavy sentence. The punishment is usually imprisonment. If you are convicted of a felony crime, you will lose many of your civil rights. Some jobs will require certain bonding or insurance coverage before you can obtain the job. Many insurance companies will refuse to bond convicted felons and, therefore, even though you are not barred by law from certain jobs, you may find it difficult to obtain the job because of insurance or other requirements.
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