Felony

A felony is a serious crime in some common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors.

Felonies include but are not limited to murder, rape, aggravated assault and/or battery, arson, robbery, burglary, various forms of fraud, the manufacture, sale, distribution, or possession with intent to distribute of certain types and/or quantities of illegal drugs, grand larceny or grand theft, vandalism on federal property, treason, kidnapping, perjury, check fraud, and copyright infringement