The Felony Division reviews all felony complaints and files felony cases for all of St. Joseph County. This division works closely with all of the police agencies in St. Joseph County, including all of the towns and cities and the federal agencies.

Felony Cases are any crime for which the penalty is more than one year. Typical cases for the Felony Division include, but are not limited to, murder, robbery, aggravated battery, rape, and child molestation. The sentences for the five classes of felonies are as follows:

Murder

• Punishable by a sentence of 45 to 65 years in prison, and up to $10,000 fine; also eligible under limited, statutorily-established circumstances for capital sentences: Life Imprisonment Without the Possibility of Parole, or Death Penalty

Class A Felony

• Punishable by a sentence of 20 to 50 years in prison, and up to $10,000 fine

Class B Felony

• Punishable by a sentence of 6 to 20 years in prison, and up to $10,000 fine

Class C Felony

• Punishable by a sentence of 2 to 8 years in prison, and up to $10,000 fine

Class D Felony

• Punishable by a sentence of 6 months to 3 years in prison or jail and up to a $10,000 fine; a Judge may also sentence someone convicted of a Class D Felony as if they wre convicted of a Class A Misdemeanor, which has a sentence of 0 to 1 year in jail and up to $5,000 fine.

The Felony Division handles nearly 2000 cases per year, along with handling thousands of hearings, appeals, motions, and proceedings.

During 2008, 1,975 felony cases were filed: