Penalties for a Second Degree Fake ID Forgery Charge in Connecticut

Having a fake ID is more serious than a normal forgery charge because the state sees it as altering or forging a state document. Driver’s licenses and IDs come from the Department of Motor Vehicles, an official government body.

The state sees fake ID’s as forging one of their own documents which makes it more serious than just forging a letter or something like that. For an understanding of treatment and penalties for fake ID forgery in the second-degree charges in Connecticut, contact a skilled fake ID forgery attorney right away.

Defining Penalties for Fake ID Forgery Offenses

The penalties for fake ID forgery in the second-degree charges in Connecticut is that the person faces up to five years in jail, a fine of up to $5,000, and a period of probation. If the person is charged with forgery in the second degree, they also face a class D felony in Connecticut. There is also the social stigma of having a pending felony as well as the risk of having a felony conviction if they plead or are found guilty of the charge.

Misdemeanor vs. Felony Penalties

Misdemeanor fake IDC charges in Connecticut are Class B misdemeanors. Usually, a fake ID charge is always a class D felony, forgery in the second degree. If the attorney can work with the police officer or the prosecutor for a charge reduction down to a misdemeanor forgery in the third-degree charge, the penalties are up to six months in jail, up to $1,000 in fines, and a period of probation if the person is convicted.

The most severe penalty for possessing a fake ID in Connecticut is a class D felony forgery in the second degree which has a potential five years in jail, a maximum of $5,000 in fines, and a period of probation if the person is convicted.
How Does the Severity of the Charge Impact the Outcome of the Case?

The penalties differ depending on the severity of the charge. With a charge involving a driver’s license where a person is accused of forging an official government document, the person is charged with the felony penalties including the five years and the $5,000.

With a normal forgery charge where the person is accused of forging a letter or something that is not an official document, the charge is a class B misdemeanor where the person faces up to six months in jail, a fine of up to $1,000, a much lesser period of probation, and a misdemeanor charge as opposed to a felony charge.

Penalties for Minors vs. Adults

Penalties for fake ID forgery in the second-degree charges in Connecticut fo unaffected if the individual being charged is 19 or 20. Fake ID charges are more common because they are under 21. But if a person a younger teenager in high schooler and under the age of 18, the penalties can change. The person is likely prosecuted in juvenile court. Although the charge is a class D felony, the juvenile court works differently with the juvenile prosecutor or juvenile judge.

The entire case is sealed to the public because the person is under 18. In that instance, even if the person is found guilty, after their 18th birthday, if the person does not get into any more trouble, the records are expunged by operation of time. The case is treated differently although the person must still go to court and deal with the judge and the prosecutor.

Consequences for Creating and Distributing Fake IDs

When a person creates and distributes multiple fake IDs, the penalties are multiplied for every ID created and/or distributed. Each of those is a separate felony charge. The person can also be charged for possessing one for their own use because they see them as having more of a criminal enterprise even when it is a minor or a college-age student doing it.