nolle prosequi
noun
nol·le pro·se·qui
ˌnä-lē-ˈprä-sə-ˌkwī 
: 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 of several defendants
Examples of nolle prosequi in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The prosecutor entered a nolle prosequi and did not pursue any charges against me.
—
Corey Brian Friedman, Sun Sentinel, 26 June 2024
The three charges were entered as nolle prosequi Tuesday, meaning they were dropped.
—Luke Parker, Baltimore Sun, 20 Feb. 2024
Hayden said his office had filed a nolle prosequi Monday, officially stating his intent not to proceed with the case.
—Nick Stoico, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Oct. 2022
Hayden’s office filed what’s known as a nolle prosequi statement.
—John R. Ellement, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Oct. 2022
That procedural move was to have been followed by prosecutors dropping the matter, officially known as a nolle prosequi.
—Adrian Walker, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Jan. 2020
Murder case ends On March 3, a judge granted a nolle prosequi request by prosecutors to dismiss the murder charges against Fotis Dulos, ending that criminal case.
—Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 4 Mar. 2020
Rollins on Wednesday asked a single justice of the Supreme Judicial Court to step in and reverse Sinnott’s decision in a nolle prosequi case.
—John R. Ellement, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Sep. 2019
The nolle prosequi is not an acquittal but an acknowledgement of the reality that the prosecution of Fotis Dulos cannot continue.
—Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 4 Mar. 2020
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Corey Brian Friedman, Sun Sentinel, 26 June 2024
The three charges were entered as nolle prosequi Tuesday, meaning they were dropped.
—Luke Parker, Baltimore Sun, 20 Feb. 2024
Hayden said his office had filed a nolle prosequi Monday, officially stating his intent not to proceed with the case.
—Nick Stoico, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Oct. 2022
Hayden’s office filed what’s known as a nolle prosequi statement.
—John R. Ellement, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Oct. 2022
That procedural move was to have been followed by prosecutors dropping the matter, officially known as a nolle prosequi.
—Adrian Walker, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Jan. 2020
Murder case ends On March 3, a judge granted a nolle prosequi request by prosecutors to dismiss the murder charges against Fotis Dulos, ending that criminal case.
—Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 4 Mar. 2020
Rollins on Wednesday asked a single justice of the Supreme Judicial Court to step in and reverse Sinnott’s decision in a nolle prosequi case.
—John R. Ellement, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Sep. 2019
The nolle prosequi is not an acquittal but an acknowledgement of the reality that the prosecution of Fotis Dulos cannot continue.
—Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 4 Mar. 2020
Dictionary Entries Near nolle prosequi
Cite this Entry
“Nolle prosequi.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nolle%20prosequi. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
nolle prosequi
noun
nolle pros·e·qui
-ˈprä-sə-ˌkwī, -ˌkwē
: 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 defendants compare non prosequitur
Etymology
Latin, to be unwilling to pursue
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share