Disposition of Case is "Nullied" - Can Someone please define this?

[Gigi007]

What is the name of your state? Washington, DC


Hi, I posted yesterday with several questions. Unfortunately although several people have viewed the thread, no one has responded. It may be that no one is familiar with the situation I describe or can answer all of the questions.

But, if someone out there can answer at least 1 of the questions (and I think it must be possible), I'd really appreciate it.

I did a diversion program for a first-time offense several years ago. I am trying to figure out the status of my records in case a background check is done. When I checked with the Clerk of the Court, I was told that the disposition of the case was "nullied".
I haven't been able to get a good definition of this. I went online and found the following as a definition for "disposition":

"DISPOSITION: Once a case has concluded, it is said to be disposed. Possible dispositions include: conviction by trial or plea, dismissal, and acquittal."

So, which category does a disposition that is "nullied" fall under? Can someone please help? Thanks.

[Shay-Pari'e]

Do you mean nullified?

[seniorjudge]

I think you mean nolle prosse.

Lawyers and judges like to confuse folks by using Law French and then, to top it off, mispronouncing it.

You heard nullied but they meant it was nolle prossed, meaning that the prosecutor decided (for some reason) not to prosecute it but the charge could be refiled.

Google nolle prosse and double jeopardy for more info.

[Gigi007]

Thank you so much, senior judge. What you said makes sense -- except that a clerk actually spelled the word "nullied" for me and did not identify the term as nolle prosse (or nolle prossed) as you did.

I did google the term and found a lot of information. There was actually a link to a similar question in the "Employment" forum of Freeadvice.com


This is what I found ther:

"Nolle Prossed is from the Latin term "Nolle Prosqui" meaning "We shall no longer prosecute." Basically, it's an admission by the prosecution that there is a lack of evidence to pursue the case. It's also used highly in plea bargains. It's different than a "dismissal" simply because it is the prosecution who elects not to prosecute a criminal case.

Nobody here can tell you whether this will show up in a background check but clearly you weren't convicted of anything because you were never prosecuted therefore you can truthfully answer "no" to that question."
__________________


SO, I guess that is the correct answer. Technically, I wasn't convicted of anything.

If you - Senior Judge - or anyone else can take a look at my earlier post that includes some additional questions - I would really appreciate it.

Thank you so much.

[Gigi007]

Hi, I realized that the clerk could have mean "nollied" (even if this is not a standard word/term), but it has the same meaning as "nolle prossed". If you google "nollied", you find tons of cases that have it as the disposition.

You can learn something new everyday!