Assault & Battery

• Assault is an intentional threat to do violence to another person. Many people confuse assault with battery, but an assault is merely the threat of harming another person through your words or actions. Battery is the actual touching or striking of another person against his wishes. Therefore, the threatening of another person's safety coupled with the actual unwanted physical contact constitutes assault and battery.
  
  

Petty Theft

• Petty theft occurs when an individual intentionally deprives another person of their property. To be classified as petty theft, the stolen property must be valued at $500 or less. Stealing objects from another person's home is petty theft, but this also occurs in cases of shoplifting or stealing items from a person's employer. The charge can be elevated to a felony if the offender has a criminal history involving prior thefts.
  
  

Solicitation

• Solicitation is a misdemeanor that occurs when one person tries to persuade another person to commit a crime. The most common form of solicitation is prostitution. It is a misdemeanor to encourage another person to pay for sex. It is also a misdemeanor to procure customers for a prostitute, although this is sometimes referred to as pandering.
  
  

Trespassing

• Trespassing occurs when a person unlawfully intrudes on another's property. This does not include entering another person's home, which would be considered breaking and entering. Whether the property is public or private, if you walk onto another person's property without their knowledge or consent, you are guilty of trespassing even if you do not cause damage to the property.
  
  

Arson

• Arson is the intentional damage to a dwelling by fire. It is a misdemeanor to set fire to any building, whether public or private. This includes public structures such as bridges. It is considered arson if someone burns down a home or business for the purpose of insurance fraud. This is a crime as long as the act was malicious or reckless, regardless of the motive. An accidental fire is not considered arson.
  
  

Contempt of Court

• Contempt of court is the act of defying the authorities during court proceedings. A contempt of court charge can be imposed on anyone in the courtroom. This includes lawyers, witnesses, jurors, court officers or anyone who interrupts the proceedings. Civil contempt occurs when someone refuses to abide by a judge's decision in a case. This is seen in child support cases where one parent refuses to pay the amount mandated by the court. Criminal contempt occurs when someone physically interrupts a court hearing by shouting at court officials or witnesses.
  
  

Stalking

• Stalking is a crime that involves following or harassing a person continuously and causing that person emotional distress. This includes physically following a person, making harassing phone calls, or stalking someone over the Internet. When a person displays a pattern of conduct that poses a real threat to another's personal safety, that person is guilty of stalking.
  
  

Possession of Illegal Substances

• Drug possession is the crime having illegal drugs in your pockets, in your purse or wallet, or in your vehicle. Depending on the amount of drugs found on an individual, drug possession can be a misdemeanor or a felony. Small amounts of illegal drugs for personal use will most likely lead to a misdemeanor charge, while larger amounts being prepared for distribution will constitute a felony.
  
  

Driving Under the Influence

• Driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or an illegal drug is a crime that involves operating a vehicle while intoxicated from alcohol or while under the influence of any illegal substance. This can result in a loss of driver's license, community service, fines or even jail time. Those found guilty of DUI with a history of other similar offenses may see much harsher penalties than first-time offenders.
  
  

Criminal Mischief

• Criminal mischief is a misdemeanor charge applied to individuals who intentionally cause damage to another person's property. This includes destruction of property such as breaking windows, or altering the property such as spraying graffiti. Criminal mischief is a misdemeanor if the damage to the property is $1,000 or less. If the damage exceeds this amount, it is categorized as a felony.