The distinction between them is based on the crime's seriousness and on the length of punishment. Felonies are crimes generally punishable by more than one year's imprisonment. You have the right to a jury trial when charged with a felony crime. The common law felonies include murder, rape, robbery, burglary, kidnapping, and treason. See Felonies and Serious Crimes for definitions of some of the major felony crimes.
Misdemeanors are crimes generally punishable by less than one year's imprisonment.
You have the right to a jury trial when charged with a misdemeanor if the crime is considered serious enough to warrant a jury trial. See The Rights of Citizens in the Criminal Justice Process . The common law system of dividing crimes into felonies and misdemeanors is gradually being replaced with newer systems based on statutes enacted by legislatures. Many of these newer systems are based on a model law called the Model Penal Code. The Model Penal Code classifies crimes by degree.