A violation of the Fair Housing Laws is considered a misdemeanor UNLESS:

• A. Violence is involved.
• B. There is a civil remedy.
• C. The violation is isolated.
• D. The case is dismissed.

Answer: (A)

Penalties under the Fair Housing Act hinge on whether force or intimidation is used. Nonviolent discriminatory acts are treated as misdemeanors, but once violence is involved, the offense rises to a felony with harsher penalties. Civil remedies can apply alongside criminal charges, but they don’t change the criminal classification. So the statement that the violation is a misdemeanor unless violence is involved is accurate because violence shifts the case from misdemeanor to a more serious felony level.