double jeopardy

American  

noun

Law.

1. the subjecting of a person to a second trial or punishment for the same offense for which the person has already been tried or punished.

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double jeopardy British  

noun

1. the act of prosecuting a defendant a second time for an offence for which he has already been tried

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double jeopardy Cultural  

1. Trying a person twice in the same jurisdiction for the same crime, a practice prohibited by the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution. (See due process of law.)

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Etymology

Origin of double jeopardy

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Scientists describe this as a "double jeopardy," where both environmental stress and biological demands are working against them.

From Science Daily • Apr. 18, 2026

Mangione's attorneys frequently argued that the double jeopardy law protects him from being prosecuted twice - by the state and the federal government - for the same crime.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

The prohibition of double jeopardy explicitly references threats to “life and limb.”

From Salon • Dec. 30, 2025

The dual sovereignty doctrine allows two different agencies to file charges for the same crime without violating the 5th Amendment’s double jeopardy clause, as long as the crime affects both jurisdictions.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 31, 2024

Indirect and hearsay evidence were accepted, and such things as writs of habeas corpus and the plea of double jeopardy were unknown in Spanish procedure.

From The Philippines: Past and Present (Volume 1 of 2) by Worcester, Dean C.