Interesting, apparently because misdemeanor is the lowest possible category. Most places classify it as an “infraction” which is a step below a misdemeanor.
I bet that has caused some unfortunate fuss with people “convicted of a misdemeanor” for a simple speeding ticket trying to explain it in a state where a misdemeanor is something more serious.
A lot of misdemeanor language is intentionally vague, to allow for officer interpretation of the situation. As in every walk of life, some take that liberty further than others.
The justice system is designed to handle this sort of misapplication intelligently, it probably won't come to anything.
The question is not how it is classified, but how it is prosecuted. From what I can see in CA, "misdemeanor" means "no prosecution, and likely not even a brief arrest" (not that thieves care much about brief arrests - they just go back to business after the fun ride is done).
ahem what is the lowest level of misdemeanor in the United States Of America? For those who do not know it's class A misdemeanor which actually means a felony in most states, not the C.
> In the United States, misdemeanors are typically crimes with a maximum punishment of 12 months of incarceration, typically in a local jail as contrasted with felons, who are typically incarcerated in a prison. Jurisdictions such as Massachusetts are a notable exception where the maximum punishment of some misdemeanors is up to 2.5 years.[20] People who are convicted of misdemeanors are often punished with probation, community service, short jail term, or part-time incarceration such as a sentence that may be served on the weekends.
Public drunkenness can also be punished by 6 months imprisonment in California (not my state, but many HNers live there). Most cases of such are still "punished" by either a reprimand or being kept in a holding cell long enough to sober up.
Are misdemeanors not crimes? The term misdemeanor simply means that it is a crime punishable by up to 364 days in prison. Further, illegal reentry is a felony, and in many of these cases, it’s reentry.
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