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Misdemeanors are "lesser"
criminal acts which are generally punished less severely than felonies;
but more so than infractions. In some jurisdictions, those who are convicted
of a misdeameanor are known as misdemeanants. Depending on the jurisdiction,
examples of misdemeanors may include: petty theft, prostitution, simple
assault, trespass, vandalism, and the like. In general, misdemeanors are
crimes with a maximum punishment of less than one year imprisonment. Those
people who are convicted of misdemeanors are often punished with probation,
community service or part-time imprisonment, served on the weekends. In
many jurisdictions, misdemeanor convicts who are incarcerated serve their
time in a local jail, whereas those convicted of a felony who are sentenced
to more than one year serve their time in a prison. |