overprosecute

English

Etymology

over- +‎ prosecute

Verb

overprosecute (third-person singular simple present overprosecutes, present participle overprosecuting, simple past and past participle overprosecuted)

1. (transitive) To prosecute (a crime) excessively.
   • 2017, Sharon Dolovich, Alexandra Natapoff, The New Criminal Justice Thinking, page 61:

     The emphasis on prosecution and conviction as metrics of success leads police and prosecutors to overarrest, overprosecute, and overpunish low-level drug and other crimes in many cases.