The 'Lectric Law Library's Lexicon On
* Offense *

OFFENSE - Any Federal criminal offense which is in violation of any Act of Congress and is triable by any court established by Act of Congress (other than a Class B or C misdemeanor or an infraction, or an offense triable by court-martial, military commission, provost court, or other military tribunal). 18 USC; Offense can also refer to Foreign, State and Local criminal law violations.

The doing that which a penal law forbids to be done, or omitting to do what it commands; in this sense it is nearly synonymous with crime. In a more confined sense, it may be considered as having the same meaning with misdemeanor, but it differs from it in this, that it is not indictable but punishable summarily by the forfeiture of a penalty.
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