An offense that was not a common-law crime but created by statute is termed a(n):

The term that describes an offense not recognized as a common-law crime but created by statute is indeed a mala prohibitum crime. These crimes are considered wrong primarily because they are prohibited by law, rather than because they are inherently evil or immoral. This distinction is important in the field of criminal justice and security management because mala prohibitum crimes can vary significantly by jurisdiction, as they are defined by legislative enactment rather than traditional legal norms.

For example, regulations concerning environmental protection or traffic laws often fall under mala prohibitum, where the conduct is deemed a violation due to statutory provisions rather than moral standards. This classification underscores the influence of societal values and legislative power in shaping what is considered criminal behavior.

In contrast, mala in se crimes refer to offenses that are regarded as inherently wrong or evil, such as murder or theft, which are universally acknowledged across different legal systems. Felonies and misdemeanors describe the severity of offenses—felonies being more serious crimes punishable by more than a year in prison, while misdemeanors are less severe, often punishable by a fine or imprisonment for less than a year. However, neither of these terms directly addresses the origin of the offense as being non-common law, which is crucial to the definition of mala prohib