The Fifth Amendment of the U. S. Constitution prohibits the government from prosecuting individuals more than once for a single offense and from imposing more than one punishment for a single offense. The Constitution states, "No person shall . . . be subject for the same offense to be twice put in JEOPARDY of life or limb;" this is known as the Double Jeopardy clause.
Florida has its own constitutional double jeopardy provision which does not prohibit a defendant's retrial when a prior trial has been concluded by mistrial because of a HUNG JURY (see Lebron v. State, 2001 WL 987233, 26 Fla. L. Weekly S553 (Fla. 30, 2001); West's F.S.A. Const. Art. 1, § 9). http://www.law.fsu Lebron v State pdf
A jury's verdict of acquittal terminates jeopardy. An acquittal cannot be overturned on appeal even if later overwhelming proof of a defendant's guilt is found or even if the trial judge committed reversible error in ruling on an issue at some point during the proceedings.
Double jeopardy embodies within each sworn jury the power to nullify an inappropriate prosecution. The power of the government is is checked because each jury possess the power to correct corruption of the legal system by law enforcement, government officials, confidential informers, prosecutors, state attorneys, and even judges themselves
A jury can also implicitly ACQUIT a defendant when it is instructed by the judge on the elements of a particular crime and on a lesser included offense, if the jury returns a guilty verdict as to the lesser offense, a second prosecution for the greater offense is barred by the Double Jeopardy Clause.
Double jeopardy embodies within each sworn jury the power to nullify an inappropriate prosecution. The power of the government is is checked because each jury possess the power to correct corruption of the legal system by law enforcement, government officials, confidential informers, prosecutors, state attorneys, and even judges themselves
A jury can also implicitly ACQUIT a defendant when it is instructed by the judge on the elements of a particular crime and on a lesser included offense, if the jury returns a guilty verdict as to the lesser offense, a second prosecution for the greater offense is barred by the Double Jeopardy Clause.
Double Jeopardy
Criminal Defense Attorney and Trial Lawyer Pinellas, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, FL
Federal Crimes Trial Lawyer & Criminal Defense Attorney in Pinellas, St. Petersburg, Clearwater,Fl
JEOPARDY! Alex Trebek
EVIDENCE
Bill of Rights
Annotated Constitution Fifth Amendment
Why are the two men at the left with arms raised so upset? "I didn't say Double Jeopardy...we ordered Double Espresso..." Can you find Ben Franklin? Good thing he didn't bring that kite of his.
