Because otherwise the government could keep prosecuting the case over and over until they gotba conviction.
The court held that "a[n]…offense and a conspiracy to commit that offense are not the same offense for double jeopardy purposes."
It basically means that if you have been prosecuted for some offense and have been either acquitted or convicted of that offense, you can not be prosecuted again for that offense. It also means you can not be "punished" more than once for the offense.
danger of loss, harm, or failure, or danger arising from being on trial for a criminal offense
Definition of Double Jeapordy: Double jeopardy refers to a person being tried again for the same offense after being acquitted.
The complete wording of the definition of "Double Jeapordy" is included just in case there is some mis-understanding exactly what that term means. Look carefully at the last sentence beginning with the word, "however." Double jeopardy refers to a person being tried again for the same offense after being acquitted. Double jeopardy is prohibited by the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which states: "…nor shall any person be subject for the same offence [sic] to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb…". The Fifth Amendment's Double Jeopardy Clause protects against three distinct abuses: [1] a second prosecution for the same offense after acquittal; [2] a second prosecution for the same offense after conviction; and [3] multiple punishments for the same offense. HOWEVER, if charges are brought independently by state and federal governments, it has been found not to violate the Double Jeopardy Clause. See: http://definitions.uslegal.com/d/double-jeopardy/
Double jeopardy applies to criminal cases and prevents a defendant from being tried twice for the same offense. It does not apply to civil lawsuits, so a defendant could potentially be held liable for damages in a civil case even if they were previously acquitted of the same offense in a criminal trial.
After being acquitted, a person cannot be tried again for the same offense due to the principle of double jeopardy, which protects individuals from being prosecuted multiple times for the same crime. It is a fundamental legal right enshrined in the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution to prevent the government from subjecting individuals to repeated prosecutions.
Double-Jeopardy is the act of jeopardizing a person's life, limb, or liberty twice for the same offense, when the Defendant has been found not guilty or the case is otherwise forever barred from prosecution, an act that is unconstitutional. In a murder case the Government may try some tactic to have the Defendant tried again but for another offense which may be related to the case, or by filing federal charges then state charges for basically the same offense.
According to the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition © 2005, the term 'jeopardy' means: 1. Exposure to or imminence of death, loss, or injury : DANGER 2. The danger that an accused person is subjected to when on trial for a criminal offense
The Three Strikes Law enhances penalties for repeat offenders based on the number of prior convictions, not on the same offense. Double Jeopardy applies to being tried twice for the same offense, while the Three Strikes Law applies to repeat offenses, thus not violating the Double Jeopardy Clause.
noAdded: It refers to a person being tried a second time for the same offense after having been acquitted the first time around. Double jeopardy is prohibited by the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Although this "wrong" may still exist on the statute books somewhere (in the US) there have been no prosecutions or suits brought for this in recent memory. In plain English, this offense is about as outmoded as the buggy whip.