Breakin' the Law
Felonies
By 1300, most European societies had made a pretty clear distinction between greater and lesser crimes. Greater crimes were under the authority of the king, while lesser crimes were handled by local authorities. We might not agree with the medieval assessment of greater versus lesser, but our legal system continues to distinguish between a felony and a misdemeanor.
Even in the countryside, at least in England, murder was a matter for royal authority. This didn't mean you went before the king or anything. It did mean that your case would be heard by a justice of the peace, who visited your village twice a year. Your case was not under the authority of the local baron. Another felony that would land you in royal court was arson.