Americans lost the double jeopardy round at the Supreme Court

Published June 18, 2019 2:34pm ET



How many times can you face prosecution for one illegal act? The Fifth Amendment’s double jeopardy clause declares that “No person shall … be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb.” So, the answer seems to be once.

However, what if one action broke the laws of a state as well as the laws of the national government? Does the Fifth Amendment allow each to prosecute you?

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