Criminology Term: Dismissal
Dismissal, a legal term that denotes the termination of a criminal case prior to trial, can be due to various reasons that may or may not result in a renewed legal action.
Dismissals can transpire for multiple grounds, including insufficiency of evidence, legal loopholes, or a decision by the prosecutor to withdraw the charges.
The dismissal of a case may be with or without prejudice. A dismissal without prejudice permits the case to be re-established later, while a dismissal with prejudice means that the case can't be revived.
In some cases, a judge may dismiss a case in progress if the prosecution fails to present sufficient evidence to support the charges.
Moreover, a dismissal may be included in a plea bargain where the defendant agrees to plead guilty to a less severe charge in exchange for the dismissal of more serious charges.
A dismissal marks the end of the criminal case against the defendant, although in some instances, a dismissal may not necessarily entail freedom from legal consequences.
For instance, if a case is dismissed without prejudice, the prosecutor can choose to refile charges later.
