Dual sovereignty doctrine
Encyclopedia
Dual sovereignty is a legal doctrine
holding that more than one sovereign
(e.g. a state government and the Federal government) may prosecute an individual without violating the prohibition against double jeopardy
if the individual's act breaks the laws of each sovereignty.
Legal doctrine
A legal doctrine is a framework, set of rules, procedural steps, or test, often established through precedent in the common law, through which judgments can be determined in a given legal case. A doctrine comes about when a judge makes a ruling where a process is outlined and applied, and allows...
holding that more than one sovereign
Sovereign state
A sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...
(e.g. a state government and the Federal government) may prosecute an individual without violating the prohibition against double jeopardy
Double jeopardy
Double jeopardy is a procedural defense that forbids a defendant from being tried again on the same, or similar charges following a legitimate acquittal or conviction...
if the individual's act breaks the laws of each sovereignty.