United States Supreme Court

The Double Jeopardy Clause bars retrial of defendant for arson, where: 1) defendant's court-decreed acquittal was the product of an erroneous interpretation of governing legal principles, i.e. that the State had to prove that the burned building was not a dwelling, which was not in fact a required element; but 2) acquittals are substantive rulings that conclude proceedings absolutely; and 3) a judicial acquittal premised upon an erroneous addition of an extraneous element to the charged offense is an acquittal on the merits that bars retrial.

Appellate Information

• Decided 02/20/2013
• Published 02/20/2013

Judges

• SOTOMAYOR

Court

• United States Supreme Court

Counsel