If you have been accused of or arrested for a Criminal Charge in Missouri, you need an experienced criminal lawyer to help you through it. Take advantage of our free consultation and make an informed decision about how you want to proceed. You have nothing to lose by calling. We’ll give you some free advice either way. Call (888) 205-9314 now to speak to an attorney.
Penalties and punishments for criminal charges can be harsh, and need to be aggressively defended as quickly as possible to preserve your most important defense options in court. Any criminal charge is serious, the sooner a defense attorney is working on your case, the more chances you’ll have to beat the charges.
The criminal penalties for each Class below are just guidelines. Any actual sentence may vary widely depending on your case, aggravating and mitigating factors and the judge involved. Some crimes have specific penalties in the statutes for a specific offense apart from the classes of misdemeanors or felonies.
We represent clients facing charges of everything from careless driving to serious felony drug charges, as well as bad checks, operating on a suspended license, and any other felony of misdemeanor charges across Missouri. If you are charged with a crime and can’t find the information you need here, please contact us for help as part of a case evaluation.
What Penalties am I Facing for a Criminal Charge?
According to Missouri Criminal Laws (Section 557), Offenses are broken down and classified into the following categories, ranked from most serious to less serious:
- Felonies (Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D)
- Misdemeanors (Class A, Class B, Class C)
- Infractions
The maximum penalties for each offense are as follows:
| Class | Penalties | Example Charges |
|---|---|---|
| Class A Felony | Maximum Penalty: Death, life imprisonment, imprisonment for 10-30 years. | Examples of Class A felonies include second degree murder, first degree robbery. |
| Class B Felony | Maximum Penalty: imprisonment for 5 to 15 years. | Examples of Class B felonies include voluntary manslaughter, 2nd degree robbery, 1st degree burglary. |
| Class C Felony | Maximum Penalty: imprisonment for up to 7 years, fines up to $5000. | Examples of Class C felonies include involuntary manslaughter, Stealing (valued $500-$25000) and second degree assault. |
| Class D Felony | Maximum Penalty: imprisonment for up to 4 years & Fine up to $5000, or twice the amount of the offender’s gain, up to $20,000. | Examples of Class D felonies include passing a bad check / fraud, other forms of fraud. |
| Class A Misdemeanor | Maximum Penalty: up to 1 year in jail, and a fine of up to $1000. | Examples of class A misdemeanors include fraud / fraudulent use of a credit card / device, if the value is less that $150, passing bad checks under $500, and 3rd degree assault. |
| Class B Misdemeanor | Maximum Penalty: From 30 days up to six months in jail, and a fine of up to $500. | Examples of Class B misdemeanors include a First (1st) offense DWI, and first degree trespass. |
| Class C Misdemeanor | Maximum Penalty: up to 15 days in jail, and a fine of up to $300. | Examples are driving with excessive blood alcohol content, 1st offense. |
| Infraction | No imprisonment penalty authorized. Fines of up to $200. |
Any conviction on a criminal charge can leave you with a permanent criminal record, that can negatively impact your life in hundreds of ways. Background checks are commonplace by potential employers, landlords, or anyone.
Don’t plead guilty to any charge without consulting an attorney first. And even if you think you are guilty, there may be defenses and plea deals that can keep your record clean.