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To: donh; general_re
Ya'll keep sliding past the meaning of "presumption". In this context, the presumption of innocence is a presumption of law, not fact. A presumption of law may well fly in the face of objective fact or be contrary to objective fact.

For example, frequently cited, the murder case against O.J. Simpson. Objectively speaking, the jury was too stupid or too biased to understand and accept the evidence against O.J.

BTW, the prohibition against double jeopardy really rests more on the prohibition against retrying a matter which has already been adjudicated once, res judicata. But this is not absolute. For example, a person who unlawfully uses a firearm to commit a felony, to wit, burglary, can be tried twice, once for burglary and once for unlawful use of a firearm. If the defendand appeals a conviction, and it is reversed, he can still be retried in most cases.

The double jeopardy clause prohibits the following: (1) a second prosecution for the same offense after acquittal, (2) a second prosecution for the same offense after conviction, and (3) multiple punishments for the same offense. Appeals do not terminate the original jeopardy. Even if you are acquitted, in some states the prosecutor can appeal and retry the case against you.
59 posted on 12/25/2003 11:23:38 AM PST by CobaltBlue
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To: CobaltBlue
BTW, the prohibition against double jeopardy really rests more on the prohibition against retrying a matter which has already been adjudicated once, res judicata.

Maybe to a lawyer. To me it rests in its specific enumeration in the 5th Amendment of the United States Constitution. The Bill of Rights is about restrictions of state power against the individual, not about judicial bean-counting.

60 posted on 12/25/2003 1:50:52 PM PST by donh
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