- Sentencing guidelines for a Class A felony, the most serious crime, mandate a minimum of 10 years in jail to up to life imprisonment. Use of a gun automatically grants a conviction of 20 years minimum. Only a relatively small number of crimes are considered Class A felonies in Alabama. These offenses include murder as well as capital murder, for which the defendant may be executed. Most Class A felonies in Alabama differ from Class B only in terms of being defined as a crime in the first degree. These include kidnapping, rape, burglary, arson and domestic violence.
- Second-degree kidnapping, rape, burglary and arson are all considered Class B felonies in Alabama. These crimes carry a punishment of two to 20 years behind bars. That minimum increases to ten years if the Class B felony was committed with the use of a deadly weapon. Other Class B felonies in Alabama are first-degree manslaughter, property or service theft, and receiving stolen merchandise. Sexual assault other than second-degree rape is a Class B felony, as is robbery.
- At the bottom level of Alabama felonies in terms of seriousness are those labeled Class C. Conviction of a Class C felony mandates imprisonment between two and twenty years. The minimum increases to ten years if committed with a deadly weapon. Class C felonies in Alabama include receiving stolen merchandise (second degree) and criminal tampering (first degree). Interfering with custody rights, stalking, and criminally negligent homicide also qualify as Class C felonies.
- The reduction of a prison sentence as a result of good behavior during incarceration is not granted to any inmate convicted of a Class A felony in Alabama. Good behavior rules do apply for prisoners convicted of Class B or C felonies. Prisoners can earn time off for good behavior for sentences of up to fifteen years.
previous post
next post