Nolle Prosequi
nolle prosequi
noun
1. an entry in the court record to the effect that the plaintiff or prosecutor will not proceed
verb
1. drop prosecution of by entering a nolle prosequi in the court records
You're free. That charge dismissed. Perhaps you're guilty, but by the entering of a nolle prosequi you can move on with your life. You're released from the consequences of that charge. The question is how to move on.
Most of us don't have a nolle prosequi entered into the court record.
Growing up I lived in a three room apartment with my parents and grandmother. I shared the bedroom with my grandmother and my parents slept on a pullout sofa bed in the living room.
Given the tightness of space— play areas were limited, so when I received a pair of roller skates for my ninth birthday all I wanted to do was go outside and skate. Unfortunately the weather precluded going outside. It rained for two days and slick puddle filled sidewalks weren't conducive for outside activities.
My mother wasn't home when I arrived home from school and my grandmother was crocheting the pieces necessary to finish a tablecloth. Despite being able to crochet without looking at her needles she always seemed totally absorbed.
I put on my skates and began to skate around the bedroom, but a large dresser, a double bed and a twin bed, as well as a desk made travel difficult. The double bed faced a large mirror hanging over the dresser. I tried to see myself in the mirror, but only glimpsed a partial view— to my hips.
Without stopping to think I sat down on the bed, drew my legs up and spread out on top of the bedspread. Then I carefully stood up, still wearing my roller skates, so that the mirror reflected back my entire self—including the roller skates. If I thought at all it was that they were clean since I hadn't been outside. But I don't think I thought of anything save for looking at myself.
Once on top of the bed I tried some acrobatic moves— pretended I was in the roller derby, gave a couple of jumps, heard some slats hit the ground.
Unfortunately I didn't take off my skates when I lay supine on the floor attempting to put the slats back—something I had done before.
My father, who usually came home at 5:00 p.m. arrived home at 4:00. When he entered the bedroom my skate clad feet protruded from beneath the bed. I'd never seen my father lose his temper—he was a man of words, but that day he lost his temper.
The wrinkled bedspread proclaimed misuse like a herald announcing some proclamation. Once I wiggled out from under the bed I looked at my father who simply had said—get up, take off the skates. When he looked at the bedspread and spotted some grease from my skates he really lost his temper. I had never received a spanking—never had a hand laid on me, but knew about receiving lectures.
He skipped the lectures—told me to take off the skates and I received an old fashioned spanking. My mother arrived home in the middle of my humiliation. She ran into the bedroom where I was crying and yelling—far more than warranted and she immediately told my father to stop.
Nolle prosequi—My father stopped and began lecturing me. My mother looked at the bedspread and at me and said, " I'm glad you didn't fall off the bed and I know why you put your skates on, but this is a new bedspread."
My father stopped his lecture and asked me what consequence I'd suggest. I always hated that because I thought I'd probably pick something far more substantial.
"I guess I shouldn't take my skates outside for a month."
"How about a week?" said my father.
My mother wanted a day, but the week stood. And that was it—no chits, no reminders. They didn't carry this forward—it was released. No chit—no record kept.
To release someone from their act so that it doesn't become something brought up again and again isn't license to keep repeating the same act, but a reprieve, a pardon.
A fetter is something that restrains, confines, restricts, limits. To unfetter is to release someone from fetters—to allow them to move on without dragging the shackles of past actions and words.
Often people can't remove the fetters for another person—we all carry around those things that drag behind us or hang on our shoulders, or burrow into core.
Psalm 103:12
As far as the east is from the west, so hath he removed our transgressions from us.
Removed: ( withdraw, loose) —withdrawn, transfer—
There may be consequences to pay, but we are released from shackles—able to move on.
noun
1. an entry in the court record to the effect that the plaintiff or prosecutor will not proceed
verb
1. drop prosecution of by entering a nolle prosequi in the court records
You're free. That charge dismissed. Perhaps you're guilty, but by the entering of a nolle prosequi you can move on with your life. You're released from the consequences of that charge. The question is how to move on.
Most of us don't have a nolle prosequi entered into the court record.
Growing up I lived in a three room apartment with my parents and grandmother. I shared the bedroom with my grandmother and my parents slept on a pullout sofa bed in the living room.
Given the tightness of space— play areas were limited, so when I received a pair of roller skates for my ninth birthday all I wanted to do was go outside and skate. Unfortunately the weather precluded going outside. It rained for two days and slick puddle filled sidewalks weren't conducive for outside activities.
My mother wasn't home when I arrived home from school and my grandmother was crocheting the pieces necessary to finish a tablecloth. Despite being able to crochet without looking at her needles she always seemed totally absorbed.
I put on my skates and began to skate around the bedroom, but a large dresser, a double bed and a twin bed, as well as a desk made travel difficult. The double bed faced a large mirror hanging over the dresser. I tried to see myself in the mirror, but only glimpsed a partial view— to my hips.
Without stopping to think I sat down on the bed, drew my legs up and spread out on top of the bedspread. Then I carefully stood up, still wearing my roller skates, so that the mirror reflected back my entire self—including the roller skates. If I thought at all it was that they were clean since I hadn't been outside. But I don't think I thought of anything save for looking at myself.
Once on top of the bed I tried some acrobatic moves— pretended I was in the roller derby, gave a couple of jumps, heard some slats hit the ground.
Unfortunately I didn't take off my skates when I lay supine on the floor attempting to put the slats back—something I had done before.
My father, who usually came home at 5:00 p.m. arrived home at 4:00. When he entered the bedroom my skate clad feet protruded from beneath the bed. I'd never seen my father lose his temper—he was a man of words, but that day he lost his temper.
The wrinkled bedspread proclaimed misuse like a herald announcing some proclamation. Once I wiggled out from under the bed I looked at my father who simply had said—get up, take off the skates. When he looked at the bedspread and spotted some grease from my skates he really lost his temper. I had never received a spanking—never had a hand laid on me, but knew about receiving lectures.
He skipped the lectures—told me to take off the skates and I received an old fashioned spanking. My mother arrived home in the middle of my humiliation. She ran into the bedroom where I was crying and yelling—far more than warranted and she immediately told my father to stop.
Nolle prosequi—My father stopped and began lecturing me. My mother looked at the bedspread and at me and said, " I'm glad you didn't fall off the bed and I know why you put your skates on, but this is a new bedspread."
My father stopped his lecture and asked me what consequence I'd suggest. I always hated that because I thought I'd probably pick something far more substantial.
"I guess I shouldn't take my skates outside for a month."
"How about a week?" said my father.
My mother wanted a day, but the week stood. And that was it—no chits, no reminders. They didn't carry this forward—it was released. No chit—no record kept.
To release someone from their act so that it doesn't become something brought up again and again isn't license to keep repeating the same act, but a reprieve, a pardon.
A fetter is something that restrains, confines, restricts, limits. To unfetter is to release someone from fetters—to allow them to move on without dragging the shackles of past actions and words.
Often people can't remove the fetters for another person—we all carry around those things that drag behind us or hang on our shoulders, or burrow into core.
Psalm 103:12
As far as the east is from the west, so hath he removed our transgressions from us.
Removed: ( withdraw, loose) —withdrawn, transfer—
There may be consequences to pay, but we are released from shackles—able to move on.
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