---
title: "Can the charge be dropped if the alleged victim does not want to press charges?"
description: "Not automatically. In Rhode Island the state, not the alleged victim, decides whether to prosecute, so a case can move forward even if the victim wants it dropped. A reluctant or unavailable witness..."
url: https://bankandmunns.com/faq-items/can-the-charge-be-dropped-if-the-alleged-victim-does-not-want-to-press-charges/
date: 2026-07-24
modified: 2026-07-24
author: "Bank and Munns"
type: avada_faq
lang: en
---

# Can the charge be dropped if the alleged victim does not want to press charges?

Not automatically. In Rhode Island the state, not the alleged victim, decides whether to prosecute, so a case can move forward even if the victim wants it dropped. A reluctant or unavailable witness can weaken the state's case, but that is a strategic factor for your lawyer to use, not a guarantee the charge disappears.