Would not have any reason to fear them.

As it ought to be.

It's not as it ought to be, because "offenses" have replaced crimes – and "crimes" now encompass "offenses" against the state.

These range from the petty to the serious. Examples of the former include traffic "violations" – which are considered "offenses." You are issued a piece of paper demanding money as punishment – for what? For having offended the authority of the state.

The same goes for serious "offenses."

If the state charges you with a "crime" that is in fact just another offense writ large, the attending paperwork will so describe the facts. The indictment will read: The state of (insert here) vs. John Smith. It is a confession before the proceedings even begin that there is probably no victim; i.e., no human being who has been harmed by the accused.