What an Offense Level Means
La. R.S. 14:2 — a felony is any crime that can be punished by death or imprisonment at hard labor
Hard labor makes a felony. A felony is any crime for which an offender may be sentenced to death or imprisonment at hard labor. A misdemeanor is any crime other than a felony.
Louisiana does not sort its crimes into lettered classes. Each crime's own section sets its fine and its term, and whether the term may be served at hard labor is what decides which kind of crime it is.
A crime of violence is one that has as an element the use, attempt or threat of physical force, or the possession or use of a dangerous weapon, and the code lists more than sixty by name, from murder and armed robbery to stalking and aggravated flight from an officer.
Sources for this section (1)
- La. R.S. 14:2 — Definitions
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Louisiana attorney.