halt prosecution

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "halt prosecution" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in legal contexts when referring to the act of stopping or discontinuing legal proceedings against someone. Example: "The defense attorney filed a motion to halt prosecution based on new evidence that emerged."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The legislation bans relatives from testifying against each other, and in a country where forensic evidence is relatively undeveloped, that would effectively halt prosecution in even the most vicious cases of violence against women, including those mutilated by their husbands or attacked by brothers and fathers.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

IN THE late 1980s Argentina's government pushed through two laws intended to halt prosecutions of military officers for their crimes in a "dirty war" against left-wing guerrillas.

The Economist

The state's struggling public defender system is facing a lawsuit that seeks to halt prosecutions in hundreds of northeast Georgia cases until lawyers are provided to represent the defendants.

The New York Times

Nonetheless, he has instructed the Department of Justice to halt prosecutions of banks that do business with cannabis firms.

BBC

If not, the capital defense offices are considering suing under Louisiana case law that says if there is not funding for the defense, the courts may simply halt prosecutions.

Vice

"I'm very happy to be part of a government that's also committed to safe injection clinics and an evidence-based approach, a harm reduction approach, more than anything," he said, adding that he wants to see his government halt prosecutions for possession of marijuana while they worked on legalization.

Vice

A decision to halt a prosecution that has lasted five years would alienate prosecutors and Mr. Louima's supporters.

The New York Times

The ones I talked to know that to take down a Swedish prosecutor's website does not halt the prosecution in Sweden.

The Guardian

Last week, one of the defendants, Sabrina De Sousa, filed a lawsuit in United States District Court in Washington demanding that the State Department invoke diplomatic immunity to halt the prosecution and pay her legal bills and costs associated with the case.

The New York Times

WASHINGTON — A former American official charged with kidnapping in Italy in the 2003 seizure of a radical Muslim cleric filed a lawsuit on Wednesday seeking to force the State Department to invoke diplomatic immunity to halt the prosecution.

The New York Times

American lawyers acting for Mr. Polanski waged two legal battles to try to halt the prosecution and then to win a trial in absentia, and no decision on his extradition could be taken until these processes had been resolved, the official, Guido Balmer, a spokesman for the Swiss Justice Ministry, said in a telephone interview on Tuesday.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "halt prosecution" in formal writing or legal contexts when you want to emphasize the cessation of legal proceedings.

Common error

Avoid using "halt prosecution" in casual conversation or informal writing; simpler phrases like "drop the charges" or "stop the case" are more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "halt prosecution" is a verb phrase acting as a predicate indicating the stopping or termination of legal proceedings. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is usable in written English. The examples demonstrate its use in news reports and legal discussions.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Science

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "halt prosecution" is a grammatically correct expression used to describe the cessation of legal proceedings. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is suitable for written English, particularly in legal and journalistic contexts. While not a highly frequent phrase, it effectively communicates the idea of stopping a legal case. More common alternatives include "stop the prosecution" or "drop charges". When using "halt prosecution", it's best to reserve it for formal writing and legal discussions, avoiding its use in casual settings. The available examples show that this expression is used primarily in news and media.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

stop the prosecution

Replaces "halt" with the more common synonym "stop", making the phrase slightly less formal.

suspend the prosecution

Suggests a temporary cessation of legal proceedings, rather than a complete stop.

terminate the prosecution

Implies a definitive end to the legal process.

drop charges

Focuses on the act of the prosecutor dismissing the accusations.

dismiss the case

Refers to the judicial act of ending the legal proceedings.

stay the proceedings

A legal term for temporarily stopping a case.

quash the indictment

A more specific legal term referring to invalidating a formal accusation.

abandon the prosecution

Suggests that the prosecution is giving up on the case.

cease prosecution

Formally indicates the ending of legal proceedings.

discontinue the case

Refers to the formal act of stopping legal proceedings.

FAQs

What does "halt prosecution" mean?

The phrase "halt prosecution" means to stop or discontinue legal proceedings against someone. It implies that the case is being terminated or suspended.

How to use "halt prosecution" in a sentence?

You can use "halt prosecution" in a sentence like, "The defense attorney filed a motion to halt prosecution based on new evidence."

What can I say instead of "halt prosecution"?

You can use alternatives like "stop the prosecution", "suspend the prosecution", or "drop charges" depending on the context.

Which is more formal, "halt prosecution" or "stop the prosecution"?

"Halt prosecution" is generally considered more formal than "stop the prosecution". The word "halt" itself is less commonly used in everyday language.