Quasi-criminal
Quasi-criminal means a lawsuit or equity proceeding that has some, but not all, of the qualities of a criminal prosecution. It may appear in either a common law or a civil law jurisdiction. It refers to "a court's right to punish for actions or omissions as if they were criminal".[1]
The origins of the phrase comes from the Latin language word, quasi, meaning somewhat, sort-of, alike or akin, to criminal law, as in quasi-contract.[2] Quasi is used "to indicate that one subject resembles another, with which it is compared, in certain characteristics, but there are intrinsic and material differences between them".[3]
During a civil or equity trial, a court may act as if it were a criminal case to punish a person for contempt of court.[1] In some cases, a court may impose asset forfeiture or another penalty.[4] For example, a court has the right to punish actions or omissions of a party in a child support case as if they were a criminal, penalizing the parent with a sentence of jail time.