What Makes a Felony So Serious?
In Tennessee, felonies are the big leagues of criminal charges. We’re talking about crimes that can send you to prison for years or even decades. The state divides felonies into five classes, and each one can change your life forever:
Class A Felony (15-60 years in prison, up to $50,000 fine) This is the worst of the worst. Murder, especially aggravated robbery. These are the charges that make headlines and destroy families.
Class B Felony (8-30 years in prison, up to $25,000 fine) Still incredibly serious. Aggravated burglary, major drug trafficking. These charges mean you’re looking at spending the best years of your life behind bars.
Class C Felony (3-15 years in prison, up to $10,000 fine) Things like aggravated assault, significant theft charges. Even the “lighter” end of this is three years in prison.
Class D Felony (2-12 years in prison, up to $5,000 fine) Still serious prison time that will completely disrupt your life.
Class E Felony (1-6 years in prison, up to $3,000 fine) The “smallest” felony, but even one year in prison can cost you your job, your home, and your relationships.
But here’s the thing that really gets people: prison time is just the beginning. A felony conviction follows you forever. You lose your right to vote, you can’t own guns, most employers won’t hire you, and you’ll struggle to find decent housing. It’s like wearing a scarlet letter for the rest of your life.
The Kinds of Cases We Handle
We’ve defended people against every type of serious felony charge you can imagine:
Murder and Homicide Sometimes good people find themselves in impossible situations. Maybe it was self-defense, maybe you were protecting your family, or maybe you weren’t even there. These cases require investigators, expert witnesses, and lawyers who know how to fight for your life.
Aggravated Assault and Robbery A bar fight that went too far, a domestic situation that is mischaracterized, or being in the wrong place at the wrong time. These charges often come down to he-said, she-said situations where the truth gets lost.
Drug Charges Maybe you were you didn’t do it, or maybe you got set up by someone trying to save their own skin. Drug cases are often built on shaky evidence and unreliable informants.
Sex Crimes These are some of the most difficult charges to face because even the accusation can destroy your reputation. People assume you’re guilty before you ever get to trial.
Weapons Charges Sometimes law-abiding gun owners find themselves facing serious charges because they didn’t know the law or because police overreached.
Theft and White Collar Crimes Financial desperation can lead good people to make bad choices. These cases often involve complex financial records and require lawyers who understand both the law and the numbers.
How the System Works Against You
Here’s the reality: the system is designed to get convictions.
The Process They’ll Put You Through:
Investigation and Arrest They might be watching you for months before you even know you’re a suspect. By the time they arrest you, they think they have enough to convict.
Bond Hearing If you’re lucky, you’ll get bond. If not, you’ll sit in jail while your case drags on for months or even years.
Grand Jury or Preliminary Hearing They’ll decide if there’s enough evidence to proceed. This is usually just a formality, but it’s our first chance to see their case.
Arraignment You’ll officially hear the charges and enter a plea. This is where things get real.
Discovery and Pretrial Motions This is where we do our most important work. We examine every piece of evidence, every witness statement, every police report. We look for violations of your rights, illegal searches, coerced confessions, anything that can help.
Negotiations Most cases never go to trial. We negotiate with prosecutors to get charges reduced or dismissed. But we always prepare like we’re going to trial.
Trial If we can’t reach a fair agreement, we’ll fight for you in front of a jury. The prosecution has to prove you’re guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, which is a high bar.
How We Fight for You
Every case is different, but here are some of the ways we’ve successfully defended people:
Challenging Illegal Searches If police violated your Fourth Amendment rights, we can ask that evidence not be admitted. No evidence, no case.
Attacking Witness Credibility A lot of felony cases depend on witness testimony. We investigate these witnesses and expose their motives to lie.
Proving You Weren’t There Sometimes it’s as simple as showing you were somewhere else when the crime happened.
Showing Lack of Intent Many felonies require that you intended to commit the crime. If it was an accident or a misunderstanding, that’s a defense.
Exposing Police Misconduct Unfortunately, police sometimes do not tell the truth or coerce confessions. We know how to spot this and expose it.
Negotiating Smart Sometimes the best outcome is a plea to a lesser charge. We know when to fight and when to negotiate.
Why You Need Lawyers Who Know These Courts
Felony cases aren’t just about what the law says. They’re about knowing the court system and knowing the rules that only come with experience. We’ve been practicing in Middle Tennessee for decades. We know the court system, the prosecutors, and how things really work in these courtrooms.
More importantly, we know how to tell your story in a way that makes sense to a jury. Maybe you were defending yourself. Maybe you were set up. Maybe the whole thing was a misunderstanding. Maybe you did nothing wrong. We know how to present these facts persuasively.
Your Questions, Answered
What happens if I’m convicted? You’ll face years or decades in prison, huge fines, and a permanent criminal record that will follow you forever. But conviction isn’t inevitable.
Can felony charges be reduced? Sometimes, yes. If there are problems with the prosecution’s case, we might be able to get charges reduced to misdemeanors or dismissed entirely.
Should I talk to the police? Absolutely not. Don’t say anything to anyone except your lawyer. Police are trained to get you to confess, even if you’re innocent.
Will this affect my job and housing? A conviction will make it much harder to find work and housing. That’s why it’s so important to fight these charges.
Can I get a felony expunged? Some non-violent felonies might be eligible for expungement, but most serious felonies stay on your record forever. It’s much better to fight the charges now.
What if I can’t afford a lawyer? We work with people on payment plans, and we offer free consultations. Your financial situation shouldn’t determine whether you get a good defense.
Don’t Wait
If you’re facing felony charges, every day matters. Evidence disappears, witnesses forget things, and opportunities to help you slip away. The prosecution is already building their case against you. You need someone building a case for you.
Call Kane & Crowell PLLC today at (615) 784-4800 for a free, confidential consultation. We’ll listen to your situation, explain your options, and help you figure out the best way to fight these charges.
Your life isn’t over. But you need to act now to protect your future. Let us help you fight back.
