misprosecute

English

Etymology

mis- +‎ prosecute

Verb

misprosecute (third-person singular simple present misprosecutes, present participle misprosecuting, simple past and past participle misprosecuted)

1. To prosecute badly or ineptly.
   • 2000, Canada. Parliament. House of Commons, House of Commons Debates - Issues 75-84, page 5805:

     […] there is a resonable basis to question that Cannada has deliberately and fraudulently misinvestigated or misprosecuted allegations with the aim of shielding a suspected war criminal;

   • 2004, David Brooks, On Paradise Drive, page 137:

     Child-abuse scandals are prosecuted and misprosecuted with almost Salem-witch-trial fervor.

   • 2011, Richard Barre, Bearing Secrets:

     Bucky the Beater, who'd made a career out of misprosecuting gangsters, finally hitting one because the jerk confessed—at least he hadn't fucked that one up.