> the defining characteristic of a felony I thought the defining characteristic was the extent to which it is pursued and punished by the law. Off the top of m

> the defining characteristic of a felony I thought the defining characteristic was the extent to which it is pursued and punished by the law. Off the top of my head I can think of one or two felonious charges that at least "arguably" don't satisfy your definition. Law often follows morality but one should be wary of mistaking them for the same thing. EDIT sorry I read through your comment again and realised you pretty much end up in agreement, though we perhaps start at different points.