Which of the following is not a category of offenses?

• A. Felony
• B. Misdemeanor
• C. Violation
• D. Infraction

Answer: (D)

In Kentucky, the formal criminal categories are felonies and misdemeanors. Those are the two ways crimes are classified for purposes of penalties and procedure. A violation or an infraction typically describes a non-criminal offense, often a civil or administrative penalty with little to no jail time. Because the question is asking for what is not a category of offenses, the term that does not belong to the criminal classification system is infraction—it denotes a non-criminal, civil-type penalty rather than a criminal category. Felony and misdemeanor are clearly criminal categories, and a violation likewise can refer to non-criminal offenses in many contexts, but the one that stands out as not a criminal category is infraction.