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

Following an appeal to the Court of Appeal in November 2024, Rhodes was retried under the double jeopardy rules.

From BBC

Keeping the lesser charges in place risked running afoul of state laws that forbid “double jeopardy” or prosecuting a defendant twice for the same alleged crime, the Salehpours said the D.A. explained.

From Los Angeles Times

That protection against what is known as "double jeopardy" is a basic legal principle that has existed for 800 years.

From BBC

He was acquitted in the 1990s and, due to the double jeopardy law, was unable to be prosecuted again, despite later making admissions to a prison guard that he was guilty.

From BBC

Mr Patton said: "It quite plainly violates the Constitution, it violates the double jeopardy rules of the Constitution."

From BBC