A felony is a felony. Break the law and you should pay.
There is a problem with that. When you commit a crime, yes there is a punishment, but after you have paid you debt to society should your punishment continue on forever? I think not.
Some "felony" charges are absolutely crazy, like the one mentioned about 2 packs of cigarettes without a MD tax stamp will get you a felony charge? Come on.
Lets try another, that I happen to know is about the same in almost (all?) states. When I was in the military there was a warning "15 will get you 20" Yes, if you are over 18 and caught having sex with a perfectly willing 15- year old (one that may have told you she was 18), you will have a felony charge. It is called "statutory" rape. Is it a violent crime? NO. Did someone get "hurt" by this "crime", No. It is a crime against a statute law) nothing else. Will you go to jail if you are over 18 and forever after have a felony record? You better believe it.
I never had this problem the years I was in, but some of the troops that were under me did. Is it fair that this "felon" can no longer vote, posess a firearm, is considered a "sex" offender...etc etc?...not in my book. I remember one poor guy that
picked the underage gal up in a bar that sent him to jail...and he was on home leave after coming back from a tour in Vietnam...Welcome back to the US buddy.
Or how about this one. Young Mexican girl (under 16) gets pregnant. Her parents know she has been living with this guy who is over 18. The couple decide to return to Mexico to get married (totally legal in Mexico, can't be done in WA). The girl stops in at the clinic to have something else checked before they leave, the observant Dr asks if she is pregnant, she says yes, guy goes to jail, girl and baby have all expences paid by the health care for poor kids...Guy is in jail for statutory rape, he cannot support her. Stupid! This happened only a couple years ago.