A felony in the State of Texas is generally classified as an offense that has a standard sentence of more than one year of potential jail time or a fine in excess of $5000.00.

The punishment for a felony charge is far more severe than that of a misdemeanor with punishments ranging from multiple years in prison to the death penalty.

Felonies are grouped into several classes; Capital, First Degree, Second Degree, Third Degree, and Fourth Degree.

Capital Felony

A capital felony is punishable by life in prison or death by lethal injection.

Examples of capital felonies are any number of versions of capital murder:

• Murder of a police officer or fireman
• Murder of a child of six years of age or less
• Murder of multiple people
• Murder for remuneration or hire
• Murder committed while incarcerated or while escaping from a jail
• Murder committed during a kidnapping, burglary, robbery, aggravated sexual assault, or arson

First Degree Felony

A First Degree felony is punishable by a jail sentence ranging from 5 to 99 years in prison. Additionally you may be forced to pay a fine of up to $10,000.00.

Examples of First Degree Felonies are:

• Murder
• Aggravated sexual assault
• Aggravated robbery
• Aggravated kidnapping
• Arson to a place of worship
• Arson that results in bodily harm
• Theft or criminal mischief of $100,000.00 or more
• Burglary of a habitation with the intent to commit felony other than felony theft

Second Degree Felony

A Second Degree felony is punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison and you may be required to pay a fine of up to $10,000.00.

Examples of Second Degree felonies are:

• Murder (sudden passion); Manslaughter; Indecency with a child (by sexual contact); Sexual assault; Robbery
• Aggravated assault; Arson; Burglary of a habitation; Theft/Criminal mischief of $20,000 or more
• Murder committed in sudden passion
• Manslaughter
• Indecency with a child by sexual contact
• Sexual assault
• Robbery
• Theft or criminal mischief of $20,000 or more
• Aggravated assault
• Burglary of a habitation
• Arson

Third Degree Felony

A third Degree felony is punishable by 2 to 10 years in prison and you may be required to pay a fine of up to $10,000.00.

Examples of Third Degree felonies are:

• Violating protective/Magistrate's order (third conviction or commits assault or stalking)
• Theft/Criminal mischief of $20,000 or more
• Kidnapping
• Stalking with prior conviction
• Intoxication assault
• DWI (third offense)

Fourth Degree Felony

A Fourth Degree felony is punishable by 180 days to 2 years in state jail and you may be required to pay a fine of up to $10,000.00. In some cases the court will require you to serve the same punishment as a Class A misdemeanor.

Examples of Fourth Degree felonies are:

• Criminally negligent homicide
• Criminal nonsupport
• Burglary of a nonresidential building
• Theft or criminal mischief of $1500.00 or less
• Forgery or a check or credit card
• Criminal mischief to a habitation with a firearm or explosive weapon

Felonies can result in long jail sentences. Even after a jail sentence is served the accused will feel the lasting negative effects of a felony for many years to come in the form of collateral consequences.

By default, convicted felons are denied several rights including:

• The right to own a firearm
• The right to vote
• The right to hold public office

Additionally, convicted felons face many additional hardships and may find it difficult to obtain certain professional licenses. Convicted felons may also have trouble finding gainful employment in any field where a background check is performed and in some cases a felony conviction can be the grounds for an uncontested divorce.

With so much at stake would you want anything less than the Texas criminal defense lawyers at Grossman Law Offices in your corner?

The criminal attorneys in Dallas at Grossman Law Offices would like to help you. From the moment you contact our criminal defense lawyers we begin to formulate a defense strategy to help you preserve your freedom. Armed with 20 years of experience and a comprehensive understanding of Texas felony laws, Grossman Law Offices has the knowledge and passion for justice that you need.

Related articles:
Felony probation eligibility
Know your rights
Plea bargains

Questions answered in this article:
What are the differences between classes of felonies?
What makes a felony in Texas?
What difficulties will convicted felons face in the future?