A criminal defendant may not be tried twice for a crime when the defendant's life and liberty were in jeopardy and the defendant could have been convicted at that first trial. A prosecutor may not have a second bite at an apple where the first attempt to convict a criminal defendant failed through no fault of the defendant. … [Read more...]
DOUBLE OR TREBLE DAMAGES
practice. In cases where a statute gives a party double or treble damages, the jury are to find single damages, and the court to enhance them, according to the statute Bro. Ab. Damages, pl. 70; 2 Inst. 416; 1 Wils. 126; 1 Mass. 155. In Sayer on Damages, p. 244, it is said, the jury may assess the statute damages and it would seem from some of the modern cases, that either the … [Read more...]
DOUBLE PLEA
The alleging, for one single purpose, two or more distinct grounds of defence, when one of them would be as effectual in law, as both or all. Vide Duplicity. … [Read more...]
DOTE ASSIGNANDA
A writ which lay for a widow, when it was judicially ascertained that a tenant to the king was seised of tenements in fee or fee-tail at the day of his death, and that he held of the king in chief. In such case the widow might come into chancery, and then make oath that she would not marry without the king's leave, and then she might have this writ. These widows were called the … [Read more...]
DOUBLE TAXATION
Refers to the taxing of a corporation where dividends are taxed twice; once as income to the company and a second time upon the person or party that receives the dividends as income. … [Read more...]