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Glite Dictionary
to nolle pros

to nolle pros

9.9
To stop a criminal case and drop the charges
  • phrasal verb
  • /ˈnɑːli prɒs/
  • Formal
: desestimar
  • The prosecutor decided to nolle pros the case due to insufficient evidence.

Examples

  • The defense attorney requested that the DA nolle pros the indictment before the trial began.

  • After reviewing the evidence, the prosecutor nolle prosed the charges.

  • After new exculpatory evidence emerged, the court moved to nolle pros the charges.

  • The judge decided to nolle pros the case.

  • After new exculpatory evidence emerged, the court moved to nolle pros the charges.

  • The prosecutor decided to nolle pros the case due to insufficient evidence.

  • The defense attorney requested that the DA nolle pros the indictment before the trial began.

Synonyms

to nolle prosequi
vsto nolle pros
  • Formal
1 9.9

Stop trying to prove that someone is guilty in court

applies to actions by either a court or a prosecutor
to nolle
vsto nolle pros
  • Formal
1 9.9

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

focuses on entering an official court record to discontinue prosecution
to nol. pros.
vsto nolle pros
  • Formal
9.9

To stop charging someone with a crime

is written in full words rather than as an abbreviation in records

Surface Forms

nolle pros infinitive
nolle prosed past
nolle prosed past participle
nolle prosing present participle

Morphology

nolle + pros

This is an abbreviated Latin legal term (nolle prosequi / 'nolle pros') whose meaning—formally dropping or discontinuing prosecution—is a technical legal convention rather than a compositional meaning derived from common English words. The constituents are either non-English or lexically opaque ('pros' is not a dictionary English word and 'nolle' is a specialized/legal item), so a B1 learner who knows the listed constituents would not be able to infer the MWE's legal sense without prior exposure or legal/Latin knowledge.

Etymology

Nolle pros comes from the old Latin phrase nolle prosequi, which means 'not wish to pursue'. It was used when a prosecutor said they would not chase a case, so today nolle pros still means 'to drop the charges'.