Forgery was not punished with death, unless the culprit was a slave; but freemen guilty of that crime were subject to banishment, which deprived them of their property and privileges; and false testimony, coining, and those offences which we term misdemeanors, exposed them to an interdiction from fire and water, or in fact an excommunication from society, which necessarily drove them into banishment. ❋ Charles K. Dillaway (N/A)
"High crimes and misdemeanors" is obviously a guidepost, indicating that the House shouldn't impeach over trivial matters. ❋ Unknown (2007)
Had the Founders wished the word misdemeanors to mean only petty crimes, they probably would not have put "high crimes" or "misdemeanor" into the Constitution, they would have just said "crimes." ❋ Unknown (2007)
Change the designation on serious crimes that are still classified as misdemeanors and make them felonies as they should be. ❋ John Douglas (1998)
And Dole, himself, has opposed the Violence Against Women Act. I think yesterday they responded to questions about this in saying that they oppose the idea of misdemeanors ❋ ITY National Archives (1996)
All this constitutes a steady, systematic defense of insubordination and revolt; as, "under the name of hoarding and monopoly, commerce and industry are described as misdemeanors;" property is unsettled and every rich man rendered suspicious, "talent and integrity silenced." ❋ Hippolyte Taine (1860)
Bellman said the reports of $1,000 fines were erroneous and apparently taken from another part of the ordinance that refers to misdemeanors such as public nudity. ❋ Unknown (2012)
He said that the National Council had proposed that offenses under the proposal be classified as misdemeanors, punishable by one to less than three years in prison. ❋ Unknown (2010)
The felony charges carry a maximum penalty of five years in jail and $5,000 fine; the maximum penalty for the misdemeanors is a year in jail and $1,000 fine. ❋ Unknown (2010)
I have also come to the conclusion that there are crimes in the common law sense (thou shalt not), and there are violations of regulations which are classified as misdemeanors and felonies. ❋ Unknown (2009)
The court also hears minor criminal cases known as misdemeanors and conducts preliminary hearings for more serious criminal cases called felonies. ❋ Unknown (2009)
At present, such assaults can be classified as misdemeanors or "lesser" felonies, Driehaus said. ❋ Unknown (2009)
For purposes of this post, I'll use the term "misdemeanors" to refer to both misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors. ❋ Unknown (2009)
But somehow the constitutional language pairing "misdemeanors" with "high crimes" suggests to me that the misdemeanors are not meant to be trivial. ❋ Unknown (2008)
How ever "misdemeanors" is defined, it should put an end to far-right-wing Bush apologists who claim he has broken no laws because the wartime commander in chief can do whatever he wants. ❋ Unknown (2007)
But it shouldn't really matter; in reading the Constitution we must use all the definitions a word may convey, so "misdemeanors" should be invoked for abhorrent behavior as well as for petty crimes. ❋ Unknown (2007)
And the Founders left many clues in the Constitution and their promotion of the Constitution that would indicate that "misdemeanors" didn't apply to petty crimes. ❋ Unknown (2007)
In other words: bad behavior; and his statement indicates that Madison didn't interpret "misdemeanors" as referring to petty crimes. ❋ Unknown (2007)
