PRAEVARICATIO

Form: lit. "deviation from the straight path".

The Latin term for the improper conduct of a case on the part of a prosecutor in favour of the defendant, or on the part of a patronus to the detriment of his client. The penalty was forfeiture of the right to prosecute, and to act as an advocate. If the acquittal of the defendant was demonstrably due to proevaricatio, the case might be undertaken anew by a second prosecutor.