press charges

idiom

: to take legal action against someone : to officially accuse someone of a crime

He was caught shoplifting, but the store owner didn't press charges.

Examples of press charges in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The driver declined to press charges against her, though she was fired shortly after. —Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 19 Apr. 2024

Police reported to the scene but did not make any arrests after Circle in the Square Theatre management opted not to press charges. —Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024

At Issaquah High School, police opted not to press charges. —Caroline Haskins, WIRED, 8 Mar. 2024

Though Hammer didn’t press charges after Leonsis called to apologize, the National Hockey League fined the owner $100,000 and suspended him for a week. —Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2024

While the state medical examiner’s office ruled Benedict’s death a suicide, and the local district attorney declined to press charges against the students involved in the attack, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights has opened an investigation into the school district. —Andrew Sheeler, Sacramento Bee, 28 Mar. 2024

She was escorted out in handcuffs, but police declined to press charges on the burglary allegation. —Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 25 Mar. 2024

David Lin called 911, but later declined to press charges. —Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024

The police waited until 2019 to pass the information in the complaints to prosecutors, who then declined to press charges. —Kat Tenbarge, NBC News, 12 Mar. 2024