How are Crimes Classified in Las Vegas, Nevada?
Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) 193.120 details the classifications of crimes in the state of Nevada. Crimes basically fall into one of three basic categories or classifications:
- FELONY
- MISDEMEANOR
- GROSS MISDEMEANOR
Anyone arrested and booked into a jail in Nevada will normally be charged in one of these 3 ways. Bail is set according to and many times automatically based upon what type of crime committed, it's severity, and the liklihood of the arrestee returning to court.
A felony is any crime that is punishable by imprisonment in a Nevada state prison. Capital crimes and those punishable by death also obvously fall into this crime category. Bail amounts tend to be at $20,000 or above on many felonies. For example the crime of burglary or possession of drugs with the intent to sell are almost always set at a $20,000 bail amount per count.
Now NRS (basically our written Nevada laws) defines a misdemeanor as a crime that punishable by a fine never exceeding $1,000 or county jail time that cannot exceed six months, or as the court lingo-peeps say 180 days. That sounds more official I suppose. A first or second offense DUI for example, is a misdemeanor offense.
In case you were wondering what exactly a gross misdemeanor is, it is a crime that fits (sometimes vaguely) somewhere in-between the definitions above. An example of a gross misdemeanor may be something like
- Indecent exposure or maybe stalking.
- In these gross misdemeanor cases, one can face up to 1 year in the county jail and up to a $2,000 fine.
Some Common Nevada Crimes That Land You in Jail:
DUI: NRS 484C details a broad spectrum of provisions related to "driving under the influence." For example the Nevada Revised Statute of 484C indicates in it's heading the following: "DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL OR A PROHIBITED SUBSTANCE."
Thus the scope of DUI is very broad. In a 24 hour state, and more specifically a "24 hour town" like Las Vegas, one can expect there to be a great amount of DUI arrests. Sadly that assumption is correct. Some of the aforementioned prohibited substances expressly indicated in the statute are amphetamine, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, lysergic, phencyclidine (commonly known as PCP or "angel dust"), methamphetamine (aka "speed" or "meth"), etc.
Additionally, with the recent abuses of prescription medications, DUI's now occur even more often, and in in gray areas. The billions of dollars used to develop these meds, and the liberality with which they are prescribed further compounds the problem.
What to expect during and after a DUI arrest? Well despite the media and official "outrage" at the crime of driving while legally impaired, little is done after the initial arrest and incarceration of a 1st-time offender. For example, the police may give the arrestee a bit of time to call a friend to come get their vehicle before it is towed and impounded. Then the person will likely be released on his or her "own recognizance" after being booked and held for at least 12 hours. Then if the defendant "lawyers up" they can often have this first time DUI knocked down to a reckless driving offense. In the instance the county jail fails to release the offender on a freebie basis, bail will be set at only $2,000. Then for about $300, the person is free anyhow. However, on a second arrest, one is rarely eligible for an "own recognizance release" and will need to post a $5,000 bail (roughly $750 out of pocket if they consult a bondsman). The first two instances of DUI are considered misdemeanor offenses. The fines and penalties can increase from there. A third DUI for example, can be a felony requiring a minimum $15,000 bond amount.
DUI: NRS 484C details a broad spectrum of provisions related to "driving under the influence." For example the Nevada Revised Statute of 484C indicates in it's heading the following: "DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL OR A PROHIBITED SUBSTANCE."
Thus the scope of DUI is very broad. In a 24 hour state, and more specifically a "24 hour town" like Las Vegas, one can expect there to be a great amount of DUI arrests. Sadly that assumption is correct. Some of the aforementioned prohibited substances expressly indicated in the statute are amphetamine, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, lysergic, phencyclidine (commonly known as PCP or "angel dust"), methamphetamine (aka "speed" or "meth"), etc.
Additionally, with the recent abuses of prescription medications, DUI's now occur even more often, and in in gray areas. The billions of dollars used to develop these meds, and the liberality with which they are prescribed further compounds the problem.
What to expect during and after a DUI arrest? Well despite the media and official "outrage" at the crime of driving while legally impaired, little is done after the initial arrest and incarceration of a 1st-time offender. For example, the police may give the arrestee a bit of time to call a friend to come get their vehicle before it is towed and impounded. Then the person will likely be released on his or her "own recognizance" after being booked and held for at least 12 hours. Then if the defendant "lawyers up" they can often have this first time DUI knocked down to a reckless driving offense. In the instance the county jail fails to release the offender on a freebie basis, bail will be set at only $2,000. Then for about $300, the person is free anyhow. However, on a second arrest, one is rarely eligible for an "own recognizance release" and will need to post a $5,000 bail (roughly $750 out of pocket if they consult a bondsman). The first two instances of DUI are considered misdemeanor offenses. The fines and penalties can increase from there. A third DUI for example, can be a felony requiring a minimum $15,000 bond amount.