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

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

From Salon • Dec. 30, 2025

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

From BBC • Sep. 8, 2025

Mr. DePape’s defense lawyers in the state trial, which began last week, argued that prosecuting him again at the state level amounted to double jeopardy.

From New York Times • Jun. 6, 2024

“Adding those together, it creates this sort of double jeopardy for women’s hockey.”

From Seattle Times • May 6, 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.