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No, it's correct. I've been involved in several incidents where the police asked if I wanted to "press charges" against the offender. For minor incidents this greatly reduces caseload while giving me the opportunity to ensure I get justice.

Prosecutors have the option of pressing charges on behalf of their jurisdiction for criminal cases and can sometimes do so even if the violated party declines to press charges themselves.

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Assuming you're talking about the US, you're slightly mistaken. The police just use the phrase in the colloquial sense, as a way of asking if you'd co-operate with a prosecution. The actual report gets written up then goes to the DA's office. The DA's office ultimately makes the call. Your cooperation is a big factor, but it won't force their decision. A private citizen doesn't have the authority to force the DA to bring charges if the DA decides it's not worthwhile.

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