prosecute

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Prosecute

To follow through; to commence and continue an action or judicial proceeding to its ultimate conclusion. To proceed against a defendant by charging that person with a crime and bringing him or her to trial.

The state, on behalf of the people, generally prosecutes a defendant accused of a crime.

prosecute

v. 1) in criminal law, to charge a person with a crime and thereafter pursue the case through trial on behalf of the government. This is normally the function of the District Attorney (called States Attorney or city prosecutor in some places) and the United States Attorney in federal criminal cases. A state Attorney General may prosecute in crimes of statewide importance, and the United States Attorney General, through the Solicitor General, may prosecute for crimes involving matters of national significance. 2) to conduct any legal action by a lawyer on behalf of a client, including both civil and criminal cases, but most commonly referring to prosecution for crimes. (See: prosecution, prosecutor, District Attorney, Attorney General)

prosecute

(Carry forward), verb advance, be resolute in, be steadfast, bring about, bring to pass, carry on, carry out, conduct, continue, follow up, go after, maintain, persevere in, persist, proceed with, pursue, put through
Associated concepts: dismissal for want of prosecution, faillre to prosecute, prosecute a claim, prosecute an action

prosecute

(Charge), verb accusare, arraign, bring accion against, bring before a court, bring suit, bring to justice, file a charge, file a claim, prefer a claim, prefer charges, prooeed against civilly, proceed against criminally, sue, summon, take one to court
Associated concepts: prosecute for a criminal offense, prosscuting attorney

See also: accuse, arraign, charge, complain, incriminate, lodge, pursue

References in periodicals archive ?

Vidyasagar Rao's decision granting sanction to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to prosecute him in the Adarsh housing society scam.

Adarsh Scam: Ashok Chavan gets big relief from court

Allu said the officers of the corps, even though empowered by the NSCDC Act to prosecute, could not effectively discharge that responsibility without the rudimentary training.

NSCDC partners Nasarawa govt to train 380 officers on criminal prosecution

The last option is that the United Nations Security Council establishes an ad hoc tribunal to prosecute ISIS members.

Why It's Difficult To Prosecute ISIS

For now we have these three levels; the Anti Corruption Commission investigates, after investigations they give the dockets to the Prosecutor General, the Prosecutor General has to make a decision after that whether to prosecute or not to prosecute.

ACC gets Angula's backing

Wal-Mart will prosecute repeat offenders regardless of age, said Simley.

Wal-Mart to Prosecute Younger Shoplifters

If the day comes when we are faced with a situation where we are unable to prosecute our own war criminals, as we presently are, and we have to turn these people over to the ICC, then this nation will cease to exist as a sovereign nation.

Perfect case for the ICC

Once the investigation is concluded, and substantial evidence exists, the next step for the government is the decision whether to prosecute.

The government's war on health care fraud: what every physician executive needs to know

Do you believe that SOX has improved the government's ability to prosecute fraud?

Public defender: Former Assistant U.S. Attorney provides an inside look on fraud prosecution

At first, they pursued a test case in which they convinced the New York City District Attorney's office to prosecute a wealthy businessman picked up with two alleged prostitutes; they hoped to use the case to convince the judiciary to adopt an expanded definition of "vagrancy" that could be applied to men as well as women.

Pursuing Johns: Criminal Law Reform, Defending Character, and New York City's Committee of Fourteen, 1920-1930

The CPS said they did not prosecute through lack of evidence but acted after more emerged at the Family Court.

Scald man gets 5 yrs

Although these attorneys contacted represented only a handful of those who prosecute homicides in the United States, they appeared to pride themselves on prosecuting and winning risky cases.