Everyone knows the term Double Jeopardy. Interestingly, people know this
term much more from movies and television than from actual day to day
law practice. That is because it is very specific, is well understood by
the legal community and rarely comes up as a point of contention. The
concept of Double Jeopardy comes into play after a court has made a
DECISION about a certain charge or charges against an individual. Once a
decision has been made regarding a charge or a set of charges, the court
or state can no longer pursue action against those specific charges. In
this way, once your case is settled, you cannot be brought back to court
to face those same charges again.
One specific point to be aware of regarding Double Jeopardy is that if
you have been made an offer by a district attorney, that offer alone
does not protect you from facing charges a second time. It is only after
the court has accepted the offer that Double Jeopardy kicks in. If you
live in Burlington, Essex, Colchester, Winooski, Williston, Shelburne or
anywhere in the state of Vermont, and have been arrested or charged with
DUI or any crime, call Handy Law for aggressive and experienced legal
defense.
Blog
03Jun 2020