Black's Law Dictionary (Bryan A. garner ed., 7^th ed. 1999) defines a sentence as: "The judgment that a court formally pronounces after finding a criminal defendant guilty." The punishment may include imprisonment, a fine, or both and must be statutorily authorized. The court may also place a defendant on probation for a period of time and may add special conditions to the probation.

Under § 557.016, RSMo 2000, there are four classifications of felonies (class A through class D), three classifications of misdemeanors (class A through class C), and one classification of infractions.

Fines

The maximum amounts a court may impose for a fine are found in §§ 560.011 and 560.016, RSMo 2000:

Classification of the Offense	Maximum Fine
C or D felony	$5,000
A misdemeanor	$1,000
B misdemeanor	$500
C misdemeanor	$300
Infraction	$200

Imprisonment

The authorized imprisonment terms a court may impose are found in § 558.011.1, RSMo Supp. 2004:

Classification of Offense	Authorized Term of Imprisonment
Class A felony	10 years to 30 years, or life imprisonment
Class B felony	5 years to 15 years
Class C felony	Up to 7 years
Class D felony	Up to 4 years
Class A misdemeanor	Up to 1 year
Class B misdemeanor	Up to 6 months
Class C misdemeanor	Up to 15 days
Infraction	No term of imprisonment; maximum $200 fine

The court is authorized under § 558.016, RSMo Supp. 2004, to sentence a defendant to an extended term of imprisonment if it finds the defendant guilty of being a persistent offender or a dangerous offender. Upon finding that a defendant is a persistent offender or a dangerous offender, the court may sentence the defendant to an extended term of imprisonment. The total authorized maximum terms of imprisonment are found in § 558.016.7 RSMo Supp. 2004:

Classification of Offense	Authorized Term of Imprisonment
For a class A felony	Any sentence authorized for a class A felony
For a class B felony	Any sentence authorized for a class A felony
For a class C felony	Any sentence authorized for a class B felony
For a class D felony	Any sentence authorized for a class C felony

If you would more information regarding sentencing then you should contact a defense lawyer from our firm. We provide legal guidance throughout the St. Louis area.

Sentencing