serious offense
Defined in 1 dictionary — Case Law
Definitions from Case Law
United States Supreme Court
In deciding whether an offense is 'petty,' we have sought objective criteria reflecting the seriousness with which society regards the offense, and we have found the most relevant such criteria in the severity of the maximum authorized penalty.
Defined by the Supreme Court in - Baldwin v. New York, 399 U.S. 66 (1970).