When you’re charged with a crime in Wisconsin, one of the first things to understand is whether you’re facing a felony or a misdemeanor. The distinction affects everything: the potential sentence, where you’d serve time, your right to vote and own firearms, and your ability to find housing and employment afterward.
Misdemeanors in Wisconsin
Wisconsin classifies misdemeanors into three classes:
- Class A misdemeanor — Up to 9 months in county jail and/or a $10,000 fine. Examples: simple battery, first-offense OWI (as a civil forfeiture), theft under $2,500.
- Class B misdemeanor — Up to 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.
- Class C misdemeanor — Up to 30 days in jail and/or a $500 fine.
Misdemeanor sentences are served in county jail, not state prison. Misdemeanor convictions do not result in loss of voting rights in Wisconsin (though federal convictions do).
Felonies in Wisconsin
Felonies are classified A through I, with Class A being the most serious:
- Class A felony — Life imprisonment. Homicide.
- Class B felony — Up to 60 years.
- Class C felony — Up to 40 years and $100,000 fine.
- Class D felony — Up to 25 years and $100,000 fine.
- Class E through I felonies — Ranging from 15 years down to 3.5 years.
Felony sentences are served in state prison. A felony conviction results in loss of the right to possess firearms (permanently under federal law) and loss of voting rights while incarcerated and on supervision in Wisconsin.
Collateral Consequences
Beyond the sentence itself, both felony and misdemeanor convictions can affect professional licensing, immigration status, housing applications, and employment background checks. The specific consequences depend on the offense and the context — a conviction that disqualifies you from one professional license may not affect another.
Attorney Christopher Carson defends felony and misdemeanor charges throughout Waukesha and Milwaukee counties. Call (262) 860-8932.
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More on this: Criminal defense practice at Carson Law Office · Schedule a free consultation · (262) 860-8932
Related reading: Arrested in Wisconsin? Your Rights During a Stop, a Search, and Questioning · Charged With Drug Possession in Wisconsin? What You’re Actually Facing · What Is a Deferred Prosecution Agreement in Wisconsin — and Could It Keep a Conviction Off Your Record?
This article is general information about Wisconsin law, not legal advice about your situation, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.
About the author. Christopher S. Carson, J.D., M.A., has practised law in Milwaukee for 34 years. He holds an M.A. in International Security Studies from Georgetown University, where he was the Bradley Fellow, was formerly with the American Enterprise Institute, and is a contributing editor at the New English Review. Read the full biography.