Understanding the Felony Court Process Crimes in California are typically defined by the type of punishment that's associated with it. Felonies, for example, are defined under the California Penal Code as "any crimes that are punishable by death or by imprisonment in state prison." For felony charges to be filed, police will fill out a report and hand it over to the district attorney. Sometimes these reports are filled out as the result of an arrest, but not always. Police reports are also th...