prefer charges against

“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.

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.

They got away from you, and they’re here now to prefer charges against you and the other scoundrels.

Do you suppose that that inspector, with all this evidence before her eyes, could do otherwise than prefer charges against the offender at the next meeting of the Committee on Discipline?