Missouri Misdemeanors

Missouri Criminal Categories
Missouri Criminal Law classifies criminal offenses into ranked categories. Felonies rank from Class A to Class D and include Capital Offenses. Misdemeanors rank from Class A to Class C. Infractions form their own category without rankings.

Class A Felonies have the maximum penalty of death with life in prison as its longest possible sentence. Imprisonments for this felony also include prison sentences anywhere between ten years and thirty years in a state prison. This category is made up of very serious crimes including first-degree robbery and second-degree murder. Class B Felonies have the maximum punishment of fifteen years and a low punishment of five years in prison. Class B Felonies include second-degree robbery, voluntary manslaughter, first-degree burglary, and many others. Class C Felonies include involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault, and stealing items that have a collective value between five hundred dollars and twenty-five hundred dollars. This felony is punishable by imprisonment up to seven years with or without a fine of five thousand dollars. The last felony category is that of the Class D Felony that is punishable by up to four years in a state prison with or without a fine of five thousand dollars. This fine can also be twice the amount of the individual's gain that shall not exceed twenty thousand dollars. Charges include fraud, forms of fraud, and bad checks.

Missouri Misdemeanors
Misdemeanors are less severe in punishments and in the degree of the crime. Class A Misdemeanors are the most serious of the misdemeanor categories and includes charges of fraud, bad checks under five hundred dollars, fraudulent use of a credit card device with the value under one hundred fifty dollars, and third-degree assault. Punishments under Class A Misdemeanors include a penalty up to one year in a county jail that may include a fine up to one thousand dollars. Class B Misdemeanors have penalty punishments of up to six months or as low as thirty days in a county jail facility with or without a fine up to five hundred dollars. Class B Misdemeanors can include a first offense of driving while intoxicated, a first offense of driving under the influence, and first-degree trespassing. The final category in the misdemeanor classifications in the Class C Misdemeanor. This category in punishable by up to fifteen days in a county jail with or without a fine up to three hundred dollars. Class C Misdemeanors include the first offense of driving with excessive blood alcohol content.

Infractions are the lowest punishable crime under Missouri law and do not carry imprisonment penalties but only fines that shall not exceed two hundred dollars.

Missouri Expungement
Expungement is the legal erasure of past criminal records. Expungement in the state of Missouri is possible for deserving individuals who fall under eligibility. Only those who were arrest but where found with no probable cause, were not charged with the arrest, did not receive a suspended misdemeanor or felony conviction, and do not have any pending civil actions against him or her may apply for expungement in Missouri.

See also:
Missouri Felony External link (opens in new window)
Missouri Expungement External link (opens in new window)
Missouri Gun Laws External link (opens in new window)