Beware, however, is that there are many surprising exceptions in American law that sometimes do apparently permit trying someone twice for the same offense. For example, a defendant can be acquitted in a state prosecution yet retried and convicted in a federal prosecution for the same conduct, and vice-versa. The reason for allowing this that federal and state government are different sovereigns. Another exception to the double jeopardy protection is that civil lawsuits can proceed despite a criminal acquittal.
[[Category:Law]]