Double jeopardy is a procedural defense that forbids an individual from being prosecuted twice for a given crime or offense for which they have already been acquitted. In the United States, defendants are legally (and constitutionally) protected by the double jeopardy rule. In fact, if an individual is convicted of a crime, he or she is also automatically declared innocent of all other crimes in which the convicted can use his or her crime as an alibi, and the law protects them from prosecution for these crimes as well.
Notable example[]
- Main article: The Stolen Turnabout
The double jeopardy law was the central aspect of Luke Atmey's plan to kill Kane Bullard. By claiming to have stolen the Kurain Sacred Urn on the day of Bullard's murder, he could be convicted for grand larceny and avoid conviction for the more serious crime of murder. When Ron DeLite was declared innocent of stealing valuable objects under the guise of Mask☆DeMasque, he was legally protected from prosecution for the same crime when it turned out that he was, in fact, Mask☆DeMasque.