When a case is dismissed "with prejudice," it essentially means that the action and any future refilling are both prohibited. When a Virginia court dismisses a case, the dismissal order may state that the dismissal of the case is either "with prejudice" or "without prejudice."A case that is dismissed "without prejudice" is only dismissed temporarily. This temporary dismissal means that the plaintiff is allowed to re-file charges. A dismissal with prejudice means that the ruling is the final judgment in the case. The dismissal prohibits the prosecutor from refiling the charges. "Dismissed without prejudice" is a legal term that means a case is dismissed but can still be refiled at a later point. (a) If neither the plaintiff nor the defendant appears, the Court must dismiss the action without prejudice to the right of the plaintiff to refile. Dismissal without prejudice is a legal term indicating that charges have been dismissed but can be refiled at some point. A plaintiff has an absolute right to request a dismissal without prejudice and has a right to re-file their case.