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Glite Dictionary
to nol. pros.

to nol. pros.

9.9
To stop charging someone with a crime
  • verb
  • Formal
translation icon : nolle prosequi
  • The prosecutor decided to nol. pros. the charges due to insufficient evidence.

Examples

  • The defense attorney argued for the state to nol. pros. the indictment.

  • After further review, the court agreed to nol. pros. the case.

  • The attorney decided to nol. pros. the case against the defendant.

  • Why did the prosecutor choose to nol. pros. the charges?

  • The prosecutor decided to nol. pros. the charges due to insufficient evidence.

  • After further review, the court agreed to nol. pros. the case.

  • The defense attorney argued for the state to nol. pros. the indictment.

Synonyms

to nolle prosequi
vsto nol. pros.
  • Formal
1 9.9

Stop trying to prove that someone is guilty in court

is stated generally and not limited to a specific authority
to nolle pros
vsto nol. pros.
  • Formal
9.9

To stop a criminal case and drop the charges

does not name who formally performs the discontinuation
to nolle
vsto nol. pros.
  • Formal
9.9

To end a criminal charge by a prosecutor so it is not tried in court

requires a formal record entry to discontinue the prosecution

Surface Forms

nol. pros. infinitive
nol. pros. past
nol. pros. past participle
nol. pros. present participle
nol. pros. third person singular

Morphology

nol. + pros.

The item is an abbreviation of the Latin legal phrase 'nolle prosequi' and its parts ('nol.' and 'pros.') are not ordinary English words a B1 learner would know or be able to compose. The meaning 'to drop prosecution' is a specialized legal convention and cannot be derived from the visible constituents, so it will be opaque to learners.

Etymology

The short form nol. pros. comes from the Latin phrase nolle prosequi, which literally means 'to be unwilling to continue'. When a prosecutor wrote those words in the court record, they meant they would stop the case, so today nol. pros. means 'to drop the case'.