Misdemeanor
Misdemeanor, in law, a minor criminal offense, less serious than a felony. Under the common law offenses were classified as treason, felonies, and misdemeanors. A person convicted for a felony forfeited property, while a person convicted for a misdemeanor did not. This distinction is no longer true since conviction for felony does not now involve forfeiture. It is not possible to draw a clear line between the two types of offenses; an offense that is a felony in one state may be a misdemeanor in another.
In the United States a misdemeanor is usully punishable by fine or by imprisonment for less than a year. A person convicted of a felony loses civil rights, such as the right to vote; conviction for a misdemeanor does not have this effect. In some states minor law violations, such as traffic violations, are not considered serious enough to be classed even as misdemeanors.