In the realm of criminal offenses, there exist two primary categories: felonies and misdemeanors. Felonies encompass the more serious crimes, which aren’t adjudicated in my court, but rather elevated to the higher circuit court. Under Tennessee law, a felony offense is one that carries a punishment exceeding one (1) year of confinement or jail time. These offenses are categorized as A, B, C, D, or E, each with varying degrees of severity. The hierarchy ranges from A being the gravest with the harshest penalties to E, the least severe among felony offenses. Examples of felony offenses include theft exceeding $1,00.00, rape, aggravated assault, and murder.
On the other hand, misdemeanor offenses are defined as those punishable by confinement for less than one (1) year. There are three classifications for misdemeanor offenses: A, B, and C, graded by severity, with A being the most serious and C being the least.
Within Tennessee, instances of misdemeanor offenses encompass domestic assault, trespassing, driving on a revoked license, DUI, simple possession of drugs, and theft below $1,000.00. Notably, only the less serious misdemeanor offenses are adjudicated within general sessions court. Felony offenses either progress to circuit court subsequent to a preliminary hearing in general sessions or the state may opt to present an indictment to the grand jury, seeking their decision on whether to issue a true bill against the defendant in circuit court.
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