prefer charges

"They thought why on earth would the murderer be in London? But when they were shown pictures of Ray they identified him from the raid. Scotland Yard asked them not to prefer charges, which they could have done: it would have hampered Ray going back to America. So they just didn't speak about him."

“Gentlemen, you may take pictures, but wait a moment. I’ve just phoned the police and asked that Mr. Erlone be released immediately. I want it known that I do not want to prefer charges against him. It is important that this be understood. I hope your papers will carry the story.”

This is the only reason why I did not prefer charges against you before the ship sailed.

"We do expect to prefer charges sometime this week," Coppernoll told Reuters.

When there were not enough real offenders to make up the quota, the police naturally wreaked any little personal animosities which they might have against private citizens; and it has even been said that frequently they were paid by certain revengeful citizens who held grudges to prefer charges against men who were absolutely innocent of any offence.