Definition
A Latin term meaning "he follows up," "he pursues," or "he prosecutes." Frosequitur appears in historical legal documents and pleading records as a formulaic notation indicating that a party — typically a plaintiff or prosecutor — is actively pursuing or continuing a legal action. The term signals ongoing prosecution of a claim rather than abandonment.
Common Confusion
Frosequitur is easily confused with prosequitur ("he prosecutes" or "he follows"), from which it likely derives or with which it may be variant. The distinction, if any, is largely one of formulaic context rather than substantive legal difference. Both signal active prosecution. Researchers should also take care not to confuse frosequitur with non prosequitur, its procedural opposite, particularly in abbreviated or damaged manuscript sources where the negative particle may be obscured.
Why It Matters in Research
Frosequitur is a term researchers will encounter almost exclusively in historical pleading records, writs, and court rolls predating modern procedural codes. Its practical significance lies less in substantive law than in procedural notation: its presence in a document signals that a matter was being actively prosecuted at the time of recording, which can be critical when tracing the procedural history of a case in manuscript or early printed sources.
Researchers should note that Black's 2nd Edition Supplemental directs readers to "Now Psos" — almost certainly a cross-reference to the entry for nolle prosequi or a related prosecutorial formula, or possibly an abbreviation for "non prosequitur" (he does not prosecute), which is effectively frosequitur's procedural opposite. Understanding that pairing is essential: where frosequitur signals active pursuit, non prosequitur signals failure to prosecute, and confusion between the two in transcription or abbreviation can reverse the meaning of an entire procedural record.
Because frosequitur appears almost nowhere in modern legal usage, it is not subject to jurisdictional variation in contemporary practice. Researchers working in English common law records, colonial American court documents, or early state court records are the most likely audience. The term may appear abbreviated in cramped court rolls, and its visual similarity to other Latin formulas (particularly prosequitur, "he prosecutes") means transcription errors are a real hazard.
Historical Dictionary Support
Black's Law Dictionary (2nd Edition, Supplemental) provides the only dictionary authority identified for this term, defining it as Latin for "he follows up or pursues; he prosecutes," and cross-referencing "Now Psos." The brevity of the entry is itself informative: frosequitur was already a peripheral or archaic notation even by the time Black's 2nd Edition was compiled, significant enough to record but not in general circulation as a term of art requiring extended treatment.
The cross-reference appended to the Black's entry ("See Now Psos") is ambiguous and likely reflects a compressed abbreviation of another entry in the original supplemental material. Researchers should treat this cross-reference as directing attention to related prosecutorial formulas — particularly non prosequitur and nolle prosequi — rather than to any single, clearly identified entry. No other major historical law dictionaries surveyed include frosequitur as a standalone entry, suggesting it functioned more as a scribal or clerical formula than as a term of independent doctrinal significance.