Also known as issue preclusion, collateral estoppel is a doctrine that prevents a person from re-litigating an issue once it has been ruled on. Collateral estoppel originated in civil law, but has been applied to federal criminal law.

Collateral Estoppel

Collateral Estoppel

Exceptions to collateral estoppel include when the party against whom the doctrine is being invoked did not have a full and fair opportunity to litigate the issue in the previous action, or when there is new evidence that was not available in the previous action. Additionally, collateral estoppel may not apply if the issue in question is of public importance and should be reexamined for public policy reasons.

Collateral estoppel may still apply in subsequent cases even if a default judgment was entered in a prior case on the same issues. However, the court will need to determine if the default judgment resulted from a deliberate decision not to contest the issues, which could impact the application of collateral estoppel.