All offenses that carry more than one year in prison are defined as felonies. If you are convicted of a felony because you didn't have a lawyer, you're marked for the rest of your life. No voting, no fire arms or hunting, no running for public office. Just because you are accused of a felony and the evidence against you is strong, does not mean you are doomed. As soon as you're arrested, call me! Police do not file charges, the State Attorney does that usually after a 2 or 3 week investigation after your arrest. I can talk to the prosecutor and even negotiate a lesser charge.