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  Criminal Defense Attorney

A criminal defense attorney can be hired to defend an individual who has been accused of a criminal act. If the accused cannot afford to hire a defense attorney, a public defense attorney will be assigned to his case. There are two major categories of crimes. Felonies are very serious crimes, usually including aggravated assault, arson, burglary, murder, and rape. Misdemeanors are lesser criminal acts, which are generally punished less severely than felonies. Examples misdemeanors include: petty theft, prostitution, simple assault, trespass, vandalism, driving under the influence, and the like. In general, misdemeanors are crimes with a maximum punishment of less than one year imprisonment.