“Dismissed without prejudice” is a legal term that means a case is dismissed but can still be refiled at a later point. Both civil and criminal cases can be dismissed without prejudice.
Sometimes called the “without prejudice” rule, it enables parties to participate in settlement negotiations without fear that information they disclose will be used against them in litigation.
The purpose and intended effect of the words “without prejudice” is to prohibit a party from using the doctrine of res judicata (from the Latin, “a thing decided”) in any later actions on the subject matter.
A case is dismissed without prejudice if 1) it is not resolved on the merits but for some reason is technically deficient as filed and the judge so rules, or, 2) the plaintiff moves for a voluntary dismissal for some reason.
28 U.S.C. § 1291. So to be appealable, dismissals without prejudice must produce a final decision. And a final decision is normally one that “ends the litigation on the merits and leaves nothing for the court to do but execute the judgment.” 6.
A case is dismissed without prejudice if 1) it is not resolved on the merits but for some reason is technically deficient as filed and the judge so rules, or, 2) the plaintiff moves for a voluntary dismissal for some reason.
Whereas a case that is dismissed “with prejudice” is dismissed permanently, a case that is dismissed “without prejudice” is only dismissed temporarily. This temporary dismissal means that the plaintiff is allowed to re-file charges, alter the claim, or bring the case to another court.
Dismissal without prejudice means that the judge dismissed the plaintiff's or prosecutor's case without damaging their right to have their matter heard in court later. A prosecutor may ask to withdraw the case against a person to have more time to make a case stronger, find more evidence or question other witnesses.
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In the formal legal world, a court case that is dismissed with prejudice means that it is dismissed permanently. A case dismissed with prejudice is over and done with, once and for all, and can't be brought back to court. A case dismissed without prejudice means the opposite. It's not dismissed forever.