Felony Including Misdemeanor Disabled – Background checks, including criminal records checks, can help keep you and your family safe. For example, if you’re thinking about moving into a new neighborhood and want to make sure it’s a good environment for your family, you might be curious about the status of your potential new neighbors. But it can be tough deciphering exactly what all the terms on a background check mean.
It’s true that everyone can make mistakes, but some criminal charges are much more serious than others. In this guide, we’ll help you understand some of the terminology you may find on a background check.
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Felony vs. Misdemeanor
While both felony and misdemeanor can sound like serious and scary terms, there is a big difference between them, and even within those two categories, there is a pretty big range. If you have found one of these terms on someone’s background check after using a criminal record search tool, you may be wondering exactly what it means.
A felony describes a more serious crime, where jail time is a normal sentence. Felonies include murder, grand theft, arson, and kidnapping. All of these crimes are considered more major and dangerous to the general public and will be punished with imprisonment if someone is found guilty.
Depending on the circumstances, some of these sentences can even result in life in prison or a death sentence in certain areas.
Misdemeanors are less serious crimes. Some can be as minor as traffic violations, but crimes such as drug possession and public intoxication also fall under this heading. Some misdemeanors are punished by things like fines or public service, but others can also result in some jail time.
Some crimes, such as assault, can vary in severity from a misdemeanor to a felony. For example, a small spat with some pushing and shoving could result in low-level assault charges being brought against one or both parties. But in cases where a weapon is used or more severe injury is caused, felony charges would be brought against the offender.
For both felonies and misdemeanors, different classifications result in different levels of punishment. These can vary somewhat by state, so be sure to check your local laws to understand the exact breakdown.
What Does the Term “Disabled” Mean on a Background Check?
Sometimes extra terms are included in a background check that may be harder to define without context—and sometimes, it can be pretty murky thanks to the fact that legal terms and definitions do vary so much within states and municipalities.
So, you might want to research exactly how the wording affects the meaning in your state. But here are some possibilities for why you might see the term “disabled” on a background check, particularly in relation to misdemeanors.
Felony Including Misdemeanor Disabled
When someone is charged with a felony, they commonly receive lesser misdemeanor charges related to the crime. The prosecutor can use this tactic to help ensure that a person will be punished for at least one crime, even if there is a technicality resulting in some charges being dismissed. It can also increase a person’s jail time.
For some crimes where a disabled or particularly vulnerable member of the population was targeted, there may be a note that it was a “misdemeanor disabled” charge. Understandably, harming or endangering a person who is in any way unable to care for or defend themselves is a pretty serious offense.
Endangering the welfare of an elderly or disabled person is a specific offense that can range from a low-level misdemeanor to serious felony charges depending on the situation and the relationship of the accused.
When Else Can “Disabled” Appear on a Background Check?
Don’t immediately panic if you see the word “disabled” pop up when you’re researching someone’s criminal record. While it may be in relation to a crime, read carefully because it might also come up as a functional term.
Sometimes a background inquiry is requested and then later canceled, or some notice is canceled or removed from the report. In most cases, a cancellation notice may show up on a background check. But, as mentioned before, things, including exact wording, can vary quite a bit depending on where you reside or where the information comes from. For example, sometimes the term “disabled” can mean a background check was canceled.
Make sure you’re looking at the context and phrase carefully to be certain whether the term “disabled” is related to a crime or simply a notice of a canceled background check inquiry. It would be a shame to mistrust someone unfairly, so always read carefully.
Interpreting a Background Check
Most of us don’t have a background in criminal law, but we want to keep ourselves and our families safe. Thanks to in-depth search tools, you can find information about the people around you and your children that may help you protect yourself.
Of course, sometimes it can be tricky to understand all the terminology, but with some basic information and a little research, you can get reliable details on the people around you.