double jeopardy

noun

: the putting of a person on trial for an offense for which he or she has previously been put on trial under a valid charge : two adjudications for one offense

: considerable danger or trouble from two sources

Example Sentences

constitutional protections against double jeopardy

Recent Examples on the Web But with respect to Trump, no double jeopardy issues. —

Ryan King, Washington Examiner, 3 Feb. 2023 Zaporizhzhya faces double jeopardy: Russian use of a tactical nuclear weapon near the front line and possible sabotage and destruction at the power plant downriver. —

Anna Nemtsova, The Atlantic, 14 Oct. 2022 Finally, double jeopardy, or prosecuting a person twice for the same offense, is also allowed in child welfare cases, even though it is otherwise prohibited by the Constitution. —

Eli Hager, ProPublica, 29 Dec. 2022 Manafort was indeed pardoned by Trump in December 2020 -- and in 2021 a New York appeals court ruled that the state charges should be tossed, citing the state's double jeopardy rule. —

Lucien Bruggeman, ABC News, 22 Dec. 2022 Lawyers for Smith are arguing that, since the conviction was vacated, any further prosecution would run afoul of the Constitution’s protection against double jeopardy. —

William Thornton | Wthornton@al.com, al, 14 Dec. 2022 While Manafort’s New York case was pending, New York eased its double jeopardy protections, ensuring that state-level prosecutors could pursue charges against anyone granted a presidential pardon for similar federal crimes. —

Eric Tucker And Michael R. Sisak, USA TODAY, 7 Sep. 2022 While Manafort’s New York case was pending, New York eased its double jeopardy protections, ensuring that state-level prosecutors could pursue charges against anyone granted a presidential pardon for similar federal crimes. —

Eric Tucker, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Sep. 2022 Lake County Judge Salvador Vasquez had previously ruled charging him after the acquittal violated Indiana’s double jeopardy clause. —

Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'double jeopardy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of double jeopardy was in 1862

See more words from the same year

Dictionary Entries Near double jeopardy

double insurance

double jeopardy

double jeopardy clause

See More Nearby Entries

Cite this Entry

Style

“Double jeopardy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/double%20jeopardy. Accessed 23 Mar. 2023.

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Legal Definition

double jeopardy

noun

: the prosecution of a person for an offense for which he or she has already been prosecuted see also jeopardy compare merger sense 3

Note: The Fifth Amendment to the Constitution states that no person shall “be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb.” The double jeopardy clause bars second prosecutions after either acquittal or conviction, and prohibits multiple punishments for the same offense.