Quasi (Criminal)

"Quasi-criminal" refers to a lawsuit or equity proceeding that has some, but not all, of the characteristics of a criminal prosecution. It's a term used in law to describe an act or omission, which is against the public interest, and for which penalty is prescribed to punish the wrongdoer. These are actions that are not quite criminal but may resemble criminal charges and are treated similarly. For example, traffic violations are often treated as quasi-criminal.