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A felony charge is the most serious kind of criminal case in Indiana, and a conviction can follow you long after any sentence is served, affecting your job, your housing, your gun rights, and your professional licenses. Felonies cover a wide range of offenses, including drug dealing, burglary, robbery, serious battery, weapons charges, fraud, and homicide, as well as offenses like OWI or theft that become felonies because of a prior record or the facts of the case.
Since 2014, Indiana has classified felonies into six levels, from Level 1, the most serious, down to Level 6, with murder treated as its own category. Each level carries a sentencing range and an advisory sentence the judge starts from. A Level 6 felony carries six months to two and a half years, a Level 5 one to six years, a Level 4 two to twelve years, a Level 3 three to sixteen years, a Level 2 ten to thirty years, and a Level 1 twenty to forty years. Any felony can also carry a fine of up to 10,000 dollars. Murder carries 45 to 65 years, and in certain cases life without parole or the death penalty. Prosecutors can also file a habitual offender enhancement for people with multiple prior felonies, which can add years to the sentence.
Felony cases move through more stages than most people expect. After the initial hearing, the case goes through discovery, where the defense reviews police reports, recordings, lab results, and witness statements. Indiana also allows the defense to take depositions of the state’s witnesses under oath before trial, which is a valuable tool many other states don’t offer. From there, a case may be resolved through motions to suppress evidence, plea negotiations, or a trial. Most felony trials in Indiana are decided by a jury of twelve, while Level 6 felonies are tried before a jury of six.
A felony charge doesn’t always end in a felony conviction. Charges can be reduced or dismissed when the evidence doesn’t hold up, and some Level 6 felonies can be entered as a Class A misdemeanor at sentencing or converted to a misdemeanor later. Problem-solving courts, community corrections, and probation can sometimes take the place of prison time, and Indiana’s expungement law allows many felony convictions to be sealed after a waiting period. At RileyCate, we defend felony charges at every level, and we’ve built dedicated pages for many specific offenses, including drug charges, battery, burglary, robbery, theft, gun crimes, homicide, and sex crimes.
Felony cases call for attorneys who prepare every case as though it’s going to trial, because prosecutors make better offers to defense lawyers they know are ready to try one. Will Riley and Russell Cate lead our criminal defense team. Russell Cate has more than 19 years of experience and has been selected as a Super Lawyer since 2013, and Will Riley’s Super Lawyers, Top 100 Trial Lawyers, and AV Preeminent recognition reflects the kind of trial-tested credibility that carries weight with prosecutors and judges alike. Both have argued before the Indiana Court of Appeals and the Indiana Supreme Court, so if a felony case needs to be challenged on appeal, that experience is already on your side.
Will and Russell personally oversee every case we take on, staffing it with the attorneys, associates, and staff the matter calls for based on its size and complexity, so you get responsive, informed representation from the outset.
Nobody plans to need a lawyer. When something goes wrong, what you need first is someone who will listen, tell you honestly where you stand, and take the next steps off your plate. That is how every case at RileyCate, LLC begins.
We represent individuals, families, and small businesses across Fishers, Indianapolis, and surrounding counties in personal injury and complex litigation, business and real estate disputes, criminal defense, and appeals.
Will Riley and Russell Cate personally oversee every matter, staffing each case to its size and complexity. Both are recognized as Super Lawyers and have argued before the Indiana Court of Appeals and Supreme Court. Will also holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell and a Top 100 Trial Lawyer designation.
We are trial-tested, not just settlement-focused. We have tried hundreds of cases, because insurance companies, opposing businesses, and prosecutors negotiate differently with a firm willing to go the distance.
If you or a loved one is facing a felony charge, the decisions you make early in the case can shape everything that follows. We offer a consultation to review the charges and explain your options. Reach out to RileyCate today to speak with a felony defense attorney.
