Class B Misdemeanor Charges and Penalties

The federal law in the United States of America considers misdemeanor charges to be of a lesser intensity than felonies. For anyone who has been sentenced to a jail term for charges that fall in the category of a misdemeanor, the term of imprisonment is always shorter than that of a felony charge.

There are various degrees of misdemeanor charges, and these include Class A Misdemeanor, Class B Misdemeanor and Class C Misdemeanor. Each of the 50 states in the country might have state specific classification of the misdemeanor charges. More information about these can be obtained from online resources.

Class B Misdemeanor Charges

A Class B Misdemeanor charge may be imposed when an individual is found to be evading an arrest warrant, is guilty of a criminal trespassing charge, or has been caught for a driving while intoxicated or DUI charge. It is important to know what would lead to the imposition of a Class B Misdemeanor charge in order to avoid a situation which may lead to getting arrested.

Class B Misdemeanor Punishment

Though a Class B Misdemeanor is considered to be a lesser crime than a felony, those who are arrested under such charges have to face the consequences and serve the penalties imposed. Any offense that crosses the mark designated for a regulatory offense falls in the category of a Class B Misdemeanor. The punishment for such an offense is imprisonment for a stipulated period or the imposition of a fine. The punishment may vary from one state to another.

In contrast, for a felony charge the offender is sentenced to a term in state or federal prison while for a Class B misdemeanor, the offender is sent to the county jail.

Expungement of Misdemeanor Records

Though they are considered to be of a lesser intensity, involvement in such cases may be blot in your life and career. As with other criminal records, expungement of Class B misdemeanor is possible but only after a substantial period of time and in compliance with the state laws for expungement. After the records are expunged they are no longer a part of the public database of criminal records and therefore inaccessible to the public. However, juveniles charged for Class B misdemeanors have a chance to reform themselves and start anew as their records are not available for dissemination.

Class B Misdemeanor in Different States

Charges and the penalties for Class B misdemeanors in different states of the country are different. For example, in the state of New York, the fraudulent use of credit cards is punishable as a Class B misdemeanor. If the offender is arrested for a first time offense, the punishment is a jail term for a period of three months. A repeat of the crime can result in the imposition of a jail term of a similar duration.

In the state of Texas the possession of marijuana is considered to be a Class B misdemeanor. There are separate laws directed towards punishing the offenders. Possessing a negligible quantity of the drug, as minimal as even 2 ounces, can subject the possessor to be charged of a Class B misdemeanor.  If one is found to offer marijuana as a gift to a resident of Texas, then it is a punishable offense and falls under the category of a Class B misdemeanor, even if the quantity of marijuana is even less than 0.5 ounces.

The punishment for possessing or trading in marijuana is graver than that of any other Class B misdemeanor. It may lead to the imposition of a fine of $2,000 or a jail term of 180 days. There are no exceptions to this rule as it is in compliance with marijuana laws in the state of Texas. The state laws have dealt strictly with the crime of possessing this drug and an individual found to carry this drug within a radius of 1000 feet of an educational institution are severely punished. According to the Texas Penal Code, an offender charged with a Class B misdemeanor may also have to face imprisonment as well as be subjected to pay a fine.

In the state of New Hampshire, DWI or driving while intoxicated falls under the category of Class B misdemeanor. It is assumed that a driver will not refuse a test for alcohol, be it a test of urine, a breathalyzer test or even a blood test. If an individual tests positive in any of these test while driving, then the consequences can lead to the loss of his or her driving license for a period nine months to two years if the offender is above 21 years of age.  If the offender is less than 16 years of age, then he or she may be barred from driving. In case of a first offense, you may not have to face imprisonment but there is no way one can avoid paying fines.

As it has been laid out by the U.S. Department of Justice, the imprisonment term for Class B misdemeanor can vary from a month and stretch up to six months. However, the amount of fine charged in the different states varies from one state to another. In the state of Wisconsin, the jail term is three months and the fine imposed is approximately $1,000; in Texas, the fine amount goes up to $2,000.

All criminal data in the country finds a place in the records of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. However, their database is not accessible to the common people. Class B misdemeanor information can accessed from various online sources and also from the office of the local law enforcement agencies.