"Guilty," pronounced the May 31, 2024, Associated Press headline: "Trump Becomes First Former US President Convicted of Felony Crimes." Just 11 days later, The New York Times blazoned, "Jury Finds Hunter Biden Guilty of 3 Felonies." Regardless of what politicians and pundits performatively proclaim, Republicans and Democrats share some common ground.
The term felony derives from the Old French felonie, which meant wickedness or treachery. That in turn came from the Medieval Latin term felonia, with similar connotations, though with a melodious flow that could have placed it on the top baby names of 2023 beside Olivia, Amelia, Sophia, and Aria. The word's roots go further back to the Proto-Germanic word fel, which meant "to deceive" or "to betray." From its inception, the word has been associated with severe moral and ethical breaches.
