Once transported to the jail, the suspect will be fingerprinted. The arresting officer also prepares the arrest report, the complaint report, and other police forms at this time.
Types of Charges
In Pierce County, there are three major classes of offenses for which a person may be prosecuted: misdemeanors, gross misdemeanors and felonies. Most crimes prosecuted in Pierce County are listed in the Revised Code of Washington (RCW).
Misdemeanors
: Any crime punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, or by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than ninety days, or by both such fine and imprisonment is a misdemeanor. Whenever the performance of any act is prohibited by any statute, and no penalty for the violation of such statute is imposed, the committing of such act shall be a misdemeanor.
Gross Misdemeanors
: All crimes other than felonies and misdemeanors are gross misdemeanors.
Felonies
: These are crimes for which more than one year of imprisonment may be imposed. Felonies are divided into three classes: “A” through “C.” A class “A” felony is the most serious; a class "C" felony is the least serious. Examples of felonies are robbery, burglary, sale of narcotics, and murder.