What does double jeopardy protect against?

Double jeopardy is a legal protection enshrined in the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution that prohibits an individual from being tried for the same crime more than once after either an acquittal or conviction. This means that if a person is found not guilty in a criminal trial, they cannot be retried for that same offense, regardless of new evidence or the wishes of prosecutors.

This protection ensures that individuals have finality in their legal battles and helps to prevent the government from continuously pursuing a case against a defendant until they are able to achieve a conviction. Essentially, it safeguards personal liberty by ensuring that the judicial process cannot be abused, which would otherwise undermine the principle of justice.

The other choices do not accurately reflect the scope of double jeopardy. For instance, the ability for convicted individuals to appeal is a separate legal principle related to post-conviction rights, while the concept of trying a case in a different jurisdiction involves legal principles such as venue, not double jeopardy. Similarly, the protection of witnesses from testifying multiple times is governed by separate legal standards regarding witness rights and protections, and not directly tied to the concept of double jeopardy.