Georgia residents could be charged with a felony for calling in sick when they aren’t actually ill. They could also be charged with a felony for other seemingly absurd reasons such as improperly importing primates or getting lost in the woods. However, the consequences of being a felon are nothing to laugh about. Those who are convicted of a felony could lose their right to vote in an election or carry a weapon.
If an individual tries to impede the administration of taxes, he or she could be tried and convicted of a felony. Although laws are supposed to be as specific as possible, the government is ultimately responsible for determining if a law is too broad or vague to be enforced. To convict an individual in a criminal court, a prosecutor needs to show that the defendant committed the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.
However, this doesn’t mean that innocent people aren’t convicted of crimes that they didn’t commit. It is estimated that up to 10% of those currently in prison were wrongfully convicted. This means that up to 230,000 people may be in custody for crimes that they might not have actually gone through with. Therefore, it may be best to not label all felons as bad people and to instead look at the system that labels them as such.
Those who are charged with a felony have the right to be represented by a criminal defense attorney. An attorney may be able to present evidence that casts doubt on his or her involvement in a given matter. Legal counsel might also cast doubt on police or witness testimony in an effort to obtain an acquittal. In some cases, evidence may be suppressed if there are concerns about the validity of an individual’s testimony.