Misdemeanors are "lesser"
criminal acts which are generally
punished less severely than
felonies; but more so than
infractions. Those who are
convicted of a misdeameanor are known as
misdemeanants. Examples of misdemeanors include:
petty theft,
prostitution,
simple assault,
trespass,
vandalism, and the like. In general, misdemeanors are crimes with a maximum punishment of less than one year
imprisonment. Misdemeanants are often punished with either
community service[?] or part-time
imprisonment, served on the
weekends.