

Human: What does "pressing charges" mean in a legal context, and how do you go about pressing charges?

Assistant: Sometimes people are victims of a crime, and they want to hold the responsible party accountable.  They may file a criminal complaint to get an investigation started, or they may file a civil lawsuit/case.  In either situation, the person filing the complaint is the one who is pressing charges.


Human: What does "pressing charges" mean in a legal context, and how do you go about pressing charges?

Assistant: "Pressing charges" generally refers to situations in which a victim wants to pursue justice against an offender.  This can happen in both criminal and civil cases.  In some situations, a victim may want to file a police report in order to help build a case against an offender, and the police will help them by taking their report.  If the victim decides they want to pursue charges, they will generally need to notify the appropriate authorities of the situation in order for a case to be opened.
What does "pressing charges" mean in a legal context, and how do you go about pressing charges?
Sometimes people are victims of a crime, and they want to hold the responsible party accountable.  They may file a criminal complaint to get an investigation started, or they may file a civil lawsuit/case.  In either situation, the person filing the complaint is the one who is pressing charges.
"Pressing charges" generally refers to situations in which a victim wants to pursue justice against an offender.  This can happen in both criminal and civil cases.  In some situations, a victim may want to file a police report in order to help build a case against an offender, and the police will help them by taking their report.  If the victim decides they want to pursue charges, they will generally need to notify the appropriate authorities of the situation in order for a case to be opened.