Which protection guards against multiple prosecutions for the same offense?

• A. Overbreadth
• B. No-knock warrant
• C. Plain view doctrine
• D. Double jeopardy

Answer: (D)

Double jeopardy protects against being prosecuted twice for the same offense. In criminal procedure, once jeopardy attaches—typically when a trial begins and jurors are sworn or the judge starts hearing evidence—a defendant cannot be tried again for the same crime after acquittal or conviction. This rule gives finality to criminal proceedings and stops the government from punishing someone twice for the same conduct. When the same conduct could fit into two offenses, the court applies the test to see if each offense has an element the other does not; if so, they are considered separate offenses and can be charged separately, but if not, they’re the same offense and punishment or retrial is barred.

The other terms don’t address protection against repeated prosecutions: overbreadth concerns statutes that sweep too broadly; no-knock warrants relate to how police may enter a home; and the plain view doctrine deals with admissibility of evidence discovered without a warrant.