prefer charges

prefer charges

To make a formal complaint of wrongdoing or mistreatment against another person. A: "Is it true that Greg preferred charges against you?" B: "Yes, but his claim is completely false! I've never done anything to him!" I really hope our neighbors don't prefer charges against us—I never would have cut down that tree if I had known it was on their property!
See also: charge, prefer
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • file charges
  • file charges against (one)
  • get up against
  • get up against (someone or something)
  • clash
  • clash against
  • clash against (someone or something)
  • build a case against (someone or something)
  • gather a case against (someone or something)
  • against (someone or something)
References in periodicals archive
class="font-size--16 MsoNormalThe magistrate released the suspects after the prosecution sought to close the file for lack of evidence to prefer charges against them.
They could either prefer charges, extend the bail period yet again, or inform an individual no further action is being taken as happened with Leighton Aspell, the third jockey along with Gallagher and Jamie Osborne to be arrested on January 27 this year.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has directed detectives to prefer charges against Murang'a Water and Sanitation Company (Muwasco) Managing Director Daniel Ng'ang'a over forgery allegations.The MD is accused of forging the signature of the Murang'a County Water and Irrigation CEC Paul Macharia in a letter sent to the Water Services Regulatory Board (Wasreb) seeking the renewal of a license.
He said it was difficult to prefer charges against the sex workers because most of them are arrested on the streets and not in the act.
"It is not clear which sections of the law the prosecution will rely on to prove their case, but Mr Alai will have to put a spirited legal fight to prove otherwise.He is expected in court on Wednesday, when the prosecution is likely to prefer charges against him or seek more time to conclude investigations.
But the magistrate viewed this as indecisiveness, pointing out that it was not sure whether it has evidence to prefer charges.
class="font-size--16 MsoNormalThe magistrate directed that Mr Mohamed be held at the same police station to allow police to finish the probe and prefer charges. class="font-size--16 MsoNormalThe driver's case will be mentioned on June 17 and that of the foreigners on June 20.
'We are also going to arrest the parents of the trio and prefer charges against them...we believe they are aware the girls are pregnant but it is worrying to note that they have not taken any steps of reporting the matter to the authorities.'
Bomet police subcounty commander Geoffrey Walumbe said the girl is admitted to Longisa referral hospital and they will prefer charges when she is discharged.
class="MsoNormalBut Principal Magistrate Bernard Nzakyo said that four months was enough time for the prosecution to carry out the investigation and prefer charges against the two legislators.
'If you walk into your saccos, half of the employees are related and if we decide to come after you, we can prefer charges you and arrest you,' he said.
They were released on December 3 after the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) failed to prefer charges against them.
"I know what is happening in saccos half of the staff are relatives .if we decide to come to you we can prefer charges on youdo not practice nepotism in saccos," he said.
class="MsoNormalThe students, who sat their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations last month, were released on Monday after the office of the Director of Public Prosecution failed to prefer charges against them.
The DPP informed the court that investigations are yet to be completed and the investigating officer intends to prefer charges against the suspects depending on the outcome of the probe.