Misdemeanor vs Felony

If we break this down, a misdemeanor will result in a fine or short imprisonment, but a felony can result in imprisonment of at least a year and loss of civil rights. Loss of civil rights might look like not being able to vote or run for office. Whether an abuser will receive a misdemeanor or a felony, depends on what type of abuse they committed and how serious the consequences to the victim are. For example, if a victim dies the abuser could be looking at between seven and eleven years in state prison. If the victim is minimally abused, the abuser may get away with a $6,000 fine or a small sentence to the county jail (Holm Law Group).