nolle prosequi

nolle prosequi
/nol"ee pros"i kwuy', -kwee'/, Law.
an entry made upon the records of a court when the plaintiff or prosecutor will proceed no further in a suit or action. Abbr.: nol. pros.
[1675-85; < L: be unwilling to pursue, do not prosecute]

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▪ Anglo-American law
Latinto be unwilling to pursue plural  nolle prosequis 

      in Anglo-American law, request by a prosecutor in a criminal action that the prosecution of the case cease, either on some or all of the counts or with respect to some or all of the defendants. It usually is used when there is insufficient evidence to ensure successful prosecution or when there has been a settlement between the parties out of court. The term also has been applied to the cessation of a civil suit.

      In English criminal law the power to enter a nolle prosequi is vested in the attorney general and is rarely used. In the United States the power is generally exercised at the discretion of the prosecuting officer, typically the district attorney, and is an important adjunct to the administration of criminal justice. Particularly in large cities, many more criminal prosecutions are initiated than are feasible to try. The nolle prosequi thus serves as a screening device that enables the district attorney to exercise a measure of control over the criminal docket. It is also used to effect an informal settlement, as where a thief agrees to make restitution to his victim. In some states the common-law (common law) rule that the entry of a nolle prosequi is within the sole discretion of the district attorney still exists; in others his discretion is subject to review by the court. When entered before trial, the nolle prosequi does not bar a subsequent prosecution on the basis of a new indictment or new information.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Nolle prosequi — (  /ˌnɒl …   Wikipedia

  • nolle prosequi — nolle pros·e·qui / prä sə ˌkwī, ˌkwē/ n [Latin, to be unwilling to pursue]: an entry in a criminal action denoting that the prosecutor will not prosecute the case further in whole or as to one or more of several counts or one or more of several… …   Law dictionary

  • nolle prosequi — formal notice to a plaintiff that the prosecutor will not continue a suit, Latin, lit. to be unwilling to pursue. The verb nolle pross is attested from 1880 …   Etymology dictionary

  • Nolle prosequi — Nol le pros e*qui [L., to be unwilling to prosecute.] (Law) Will not prosecute; an entry on the record, denoting that a plaintiff discontinues his suit, or the attorney for the public a prosecution; either wholly, or as to some count, or as to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • nolle prosequi — [nä΄lē präs′i kwī΄] n. [L, to be unwilling to prosecute] Law 1. formal notice by the prosecutor that prosecution in a criminal case will be ended as to one or more counts, one or more defendants, or altogether 2. similar notice by the plaintiff… …   English World dictionary

  • nolle prosequi — A formal entry of record by the prosecuting attorney by which he declares unwillingness to prosecute a case or his intention not to prosecute the case further. 21 Am J2d Crim L § 512. An agreement not to proceed further in the suit as to a… …   Ballentine's law dictionary

  • nolle prosequi — noun Etymology: Latin, to be unwilling to pursue Date: 1681 an entry on the record of a legal action denoting that the prosecutor or plaintiff will proceed no further in an action or suit either as a whole or as to some count or as to one or more …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • nolle prosequi — 1. noun a) A declaration by the prosecutor that a civil or criminal prosecution will not proceed. b) A refusal, a denial, a rejection …   Wiktionary

  • nolle prosequi — (Latin) unwilling to proceed ; legal declaration which closes a suitnol·le pros·e·qui || ‚nÉ‘lɪ‚prÉ‘sɪkwaɪ /‚nÉ‘lɪ‚prÉ‘ …   English contemporary dictionary

  • nolle prosequi — [ˌnɒlɪ prɒsɪkwʌɪ] noun Law a formal notice of abandonment by a plaintiff or prosecutor of all or part of a suit. Origin L., lit. refuse to pursue …   English new terms dictionary

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