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A defendant found not guilty in a state court may be legally tried again and found guilty in a federal court.

A) True
B) False

1 Answer

4 votes

Final answer:

A defendant acquitted in a state court can be legally retried in a federal court for the same conduct under the separate sovereigns doctrine, making the statement 'True'. Double jeopardy applies within the same jurisdiction, not across state and federal courts.

Step-by-step explanation:

A defendant who is found not guilty in a state court may legally be tried again for the same conduct in a federal court. This is because the double jeopardy clause of the Fifth Amendment applies within the same jurisdiction.

If a defendant has been acquitted in a state court, they can still face trial in a federal court if their actions violated federal laws. This has occurred in high-profile cases, such as the Rodney King case, where police officers acquitted at the state level were later convicted in federal court.

Additionally, the double jeopardy rule does not preclude a person from being sued in a civil trial for damages even after they have been acquitted in a criminal trial. O.J. Simpson's case is a prime example, where he was found not guilty in the criminal trial but was later found liable in a civil court.

Conclusion

Therefore, the statement that a defendant found not guilty in a state court may be tried again and found guilty in a federal court is True.

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