Many people understand that felony charges are reserved for the most serious of crimes. People know that these include murder and other violent crimes, sex crimes and weapons charges. However, people may not be aware that there are a lot of different types of felonies. Some of these felony charges can even apply when no one is physically hurt by another person's conduct.
Woman arrested for drunk driving with children in car
Since children are some of the most vulnerable members of society, police and prosecutors take crimes involving children very seriously. Many people may not think about children and drunk driving, but the two can be related. In fact, if children are in a car with a drunk driver, that driver can face increase penalties.
Baseball player faces misdemeanor charges for break-in
Misdemeanor crimes are one broad type of criminal charge -- the other type is felony crimes. Misdemeanors are generally less serious than felonies but can still result in serious criminal punishments. Misdemeanor crimes include some theft charges, many driving offenses and traffic citations and low-level drug charges. Since punishments are not as severe as felonies, some people may think that misdemeanors do not require a significant criminal defense. However, if people ignore their defense, they can still end up with significant criminal punishments if found guilty of misdemeanors.
Oregon man faces multiple sex crime charges
Police and prosecutors take certain crimes very seriously. One of those crimes are those against children -- particularly child sex abuse. In Oregon, many child sex crimes are felonies that can result in a variety of serious punishments. When people are found guilty of a sex crime, they can face long prison sentences, fines, supervised release and may be forced to register on a sex offender registry.
Charges dropped against former Portland resident
In state and federal court, Oregon residents have the right to present an aggressive criminal defense. In this defense, people should present evidence of their innocence. This may be employing defense strategies such as self-defense or insanity, or it could be evidence showing why it could not have been them who committed the crime. The specific criminal defense strategy will change depending on the specific facts and charges in each case.
Traffic stop leads to drug charges for licensed Oregon grower
During a traffic stop, Oregon police will look for other evidence of misconduct. People may think that police are just ticketing them for speeding, or some other traffic infraction, but in reality, the police are analyzing the situation. Police are specially trained to look for evidence of other criminal misconduct when they are talking with people. During a traffic stop, if the police suspect that another crime has taken place, they may have the probable cause they need to search the vehicle. These searches frequently lead to other criminal charges including drug charges.
Accident on Oregon I-5 leads to DUI and other charges
Car accidents happen all the time in Oregon. After most accidents, police will conduct an investigation to try to determine why the accident occurred and if anyone was at fault. During this investigation, all of the people involved in the accident can be questioned. During the rescue efforts, or following the accident, police may search a car for accident victims or for evidence about how the accident occurred.
Man faces six misdemeanors after standoff with police
It is often understandable that police need to be able to carry out their work without fearing for their personal safety. Therefore, if police feel that their safety is in jeopardy, they can take extreme measures, including the use of force. Once the situation is under control, anyone threatening the police can face criminal charges.
Eye-witness testimony not as accurate as many in Oregon think
Most people do and see a lot of things during the day. Oregon residents are busy and many are constantly on the go. People may not always be paying attention to the details around them. When a crime occurs, these details can be very important in determining what happened and how. In most cases, people do not know which details are going to be important until after the crime occurs. Despite the fact that someone was present during a particular situation, they may not have noticed every important aspect.
