Can I be prosecuted for domestic violence or spousal abuse if the victim does not press charges?
Whitney S. Boan Protecting Your Right
Video Transcript
You can. If the victim does not want to pursue the charges, that does not mean that the office of the state attorney or the prosecutors have to honor those wishes. Certainly, a victim not wanting to prosecute a case will weigh very heavily in a decision being made by a prosecutor as to whether or not to proceed with criminal charges against you, but it is not dispositive, and it will not ultimately control definitely what happens with the criminal charges against you. Speak with a lawyer, so that you can understand what if any probability there is that you could still be prosecuted even if the victim does not want to proceed with the charges.