The New York booklet gives the traditional definition of felony: a crime punishable by death or by imprisonment in a state prison. In modern exam and practice use, what matters most is that felony is the more serious criminal classification when compared with a misdemeanor.
For notary materials, felony classification matters because several specific offenses tied to false notarization or related wrongdoing carry felony treatment. The booklet’s index specifically points readers to crimes such as forgery in the second degree and issuing a false certificate, along with the sentencing rules in Penal Law §§70.00 and 70.15.
Why it matters: The word itself is a classification term, not a description of one single act. A notary student should learn both the general definition and the offense-specific pairings that New York repeatedly tests.
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