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term:
Penal Action
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penal action n
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: an action by the state or a private party that is for the purpose of imposing a statutorily prescribed penalty on one who violates a law and that is punitive rather than remedial in nature
;also
: a criminal prosecution
Source: Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law ©1996. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Published under license with Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.