'Legally speaking, there is no such thing as "pressing charges" for private persons. The way the system works is, crimes are investigated by the police, and criminal charges are brought before the Court by a prosecuting attorney (the District Attorney for state crimes, or the United States Attorney for federal crimes). Private persons can report crimes to the police, and can cooperate with the prosecutor in making their cases - and this is usually what people mean when they talk of "pressing charges" - but that's all they can do. We have no legal power to compel (or to refuse) any prosecution.
The police will sometimes ask crime victims if they want to 'press charges,' but this phrase is deliberately misleading. What police mean when they say this is, if we refer this matter to the prosecutor and they decide they want to charge the perpetrator with a crime, will you cooperate by showing up and testifying? They ask this because, in many cases, victims don't want the perpetrator to be prosecuted, and without their cooperation, a successful prosecution is impossible. But if there's enough evidence for a case without the victim's cooperation, the police may not give them the option. And conversely, if the police don't want to pursue the matter or if the prosecutor doesn't believe there's enough evidence to bring charges before a court, no one else can compel them to do so.'
Basically, it didn't matter what she said. The Cult of Pussypass got 'im.
Your spouse can destroy your life. Gotta marry someone that isn't crazy.
The spouse didn't report this, some other woman did.
The wife refused to testify or bring charges.
Don't talk to other women.
so she refused to testify for him and divorced him and that wasn't her fault? wtf?
For him? She wasn't going to press charges.
There shouldn't have been a case at all.
'Legally speaking, there is no such thing as "pressing charges" for private persons. The way the system works is, crimes are investigated by the police, and criminal charges are brought before the Court by a prosecuting attorney (the District Attorney for state crimes, or the United States Attorney for federal crimes). Private persons can report crimes to the police, and can cooperate with the prosecutor in making their cases - and this is usually what people mean when they talk of "pressing charges" - but that's all they can do. We have no legal power to compel (or to refuse) any prosecution.
The police will sometimes ask crime victims if they want to 'press charges,' but this phrase is deliberately misleading. What police mean when they say this is, if we refer this matter to the prosecutor and they decide they want to charge the perpetrator with a crime, will you cooperate by showing up and testifying? They ask this because, in many cases, victims don't want the perpetrator to be prosecuted, and without their cooperation, a successful prosecution is impossible. But if there's enough evidence for a case without the victim's cooperation, the police may not give them the option. And conversely, if the police don't want to pursue the matter or if the prosecutor doesn't believe there's enough evidence to bring charges before a court, no one else can compel them to do so.'
Basically, it didn't matter what she said. The Cult of Pussypass got 'im.