When comparing serious crime and less serious crime, serious crimes are called felonies, and a less serious crimes are misdemeanors. Misdemeanors can include traffic offenses, assault, theft, substance abuse, etc. A judge has the power to distinguish between a felony and misdemeanor, but sometimes making the distinction is easy. For example, driving drunk without injuring another party may be a misdemeanor, but drunk driving and injuring or fatally harming another person would be a felony. Misdemeanors cannot be punishable with a federal prison sentence, but they are punishable by fines, or sentences in city or county jail. Hoover Law Group works with dozens of misdemeanor cases every year and is a well experienced choice to represent you.