If she has been tried and acquitted it is over. She is not guilty as a matter of law. She can write a “How I Did It and How You Can Too” book with impunity. Jeopardy attaches in a jury trial when the jury and alternates are selected and sworn. In a judge trial jeopardy attaches when the first witness is called and testifies. If the first trial resulted in a mistrial there might still be a case.
Believe it or not, a confession by itself is not likely to result in a conviction in any case. Many criminals or wannabe criminals like to boast or inflate their deeds, and there are a lot of kooks who dramatize their sad lives with claims to murders or other lurid events which are completely false.
I am not sure you are correct. I did not chime in on the question orginally because it asked for attorneys and I am not one. But if she got off with an abuse defense, perhaps she could be charged with perjury? A judge might even be inclined to give her the maximum and maybe consecutive sentences if she testified more than once and perjured herself.
Incidentally JLS, my initial post in ‘reply’ to you was accidental. I am new to this board and just fumbling around. I was attempting to reply to Pliny the elder.
Good point about how the “supposed to be non partisan” line was an intriguing opportunity lost. These two gained an amazing amount of ground against ACORN though. But that would have been rich to follow the “non partisan” opening.