The short answer is no. The DA can prosecute with or without your approval. We often hear spouses say that they were just trying to scare the other person. But once an allegation is made, the police will act and, in most cases, the prosecutor will follow
through.
Obviously, a spouse recanting is helpful for the defense but it does not mean that charges will be dropped. Similarly, a spouse
that is not cooperating, or is refusing to testify, makes the case harder for the District Attorney but it also creates a fight about
which victim statements, if any, the jury can hear.
Some statements may be admissible even though they are hearsay and admitting them into evidence is arguably a denial of the defendant’s Due Process rights. The DA also has to decide whether or not they want to prosecute an uncooperative victim. While the laws provide protections that generally prevent a domestic violence victim from serving jail time, that doesn’t prevent a conviction.
The bottom line is that, despite what you may have been told, you can’t just call the DA and drop charges.
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