In Iowa, there are eight (8) classifications of crimes. The serious crimes are called felonies. We have the class A,B,C, and D felonies. If you are convicted of a class A felony, under Iowa law you are required to be sentenced to prison without the possibility of parole. For the B felony, you can be sentenced up to 25 years in prison. For the C felony, you can be sentenced up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine along with a 35% surcharge. For the D felony, you can be sentenced up to 5 years in prison and a $7,500 fine along with the 35% surcharge. Now generally speaking if someone is sentenced to the maximum for any of the felonies, they usually do not serve the entire sentenced. This is because the prisoner gets credit for good time served. If the prisoner is eligible, they may even get more credit if they work while they are incarcerated. It should also be noted that convictions for certain crimes come with a mandatory minimum period of incarceration. For example, robbery in the first degree, which is a B felony, comes with a 70% mandatory minimum sentence. In prison lingo, this is called a quarter-seventy. This means the prisoner actually has to serve 17.5 (70% *25 years) years. Being convicted of a felony can significantly affect your ability to possess guns and your eligibility to vote. Furthermore, although some people be happy about this, it will make you ineligible to sit on a jury. Simply put, felonies are serious crimes.
In regard misdemeanors, Iowa has the simple, serious, and aggravated misdemeanors. The simple misdemeanor comes with a punishment of up to 30 days in jail and a $625 fine plus a 35% surcharge. If convicted of a serious misdemeanor, you can be incarcerated for up to one year in prison and be fined $1,875 plus a 35% surcharge. If convicted of an aggravated misdemeanor, you can be sentenced up to 2 years in prison and be fined $6,250 plus a 35% surcharge. Being convicted of certain misdemeanors can affect your ability to possess guns. It can also affect your ability to see your own children. For example, if you are charged with a domestic assault, this can limit your ability to see your kids. This is a very serious matter in which you should seek legal counsel.
Lastly, there are the traffic violations. There are scheduled and non-scheduled fines. Generally, people just pay the fines but if you are in a situation where your license is at risk you may want to contact a defense attorney.