Generally, a crime punishable by imprisonment of less than one year is considered a misdemeanor. Felonies are more serious offenses and are punishable by imprisonment of one year or more. People convicted of misdemeanors are sentenced to local, city, or county jail while people convicted of felonies are sentenced to state or federal prison. In Texas, felonies are categorized into five different categories (capital murder and felony in four degrees) while misdemeanors are categorized into three classes.
