Quasi-criminal means a lawsuit or equity proceeding that has some, but not all, of the qualities of a criminal prosecution.
[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".
[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.
Quasi-criminal proceedings include a wide variety of matters, including prosecution for a violation of law or ordinance, psychiatric matters, motor vehicle law, status offenses, family court actions, and equity proceedings such as a writ.