Federal · Title 42 — Public Health and Welfare

42 U.S.C. § 2000h: Double jeopardy; specific crimes and criminal contempts

Civil

What this law says, in plain English

This statute establishes a double jeopardy protection: a person cannot be prosecuted for both a specific crime and criminal contempt based on the same act, and an acquittal or conviction in either proceeding bars the other.

Read the full statutory text
No person should be put twice in jeopardy under the laws of the United States for the same act or omission. For this reason, an acquittal or conviction in a prosecution for a specific crime under the laws of the United States shall bar a proceeding for criminal contempt, which is based upon the same act or omission and which arises under the provisions of this Act; and an acquittal or conviction in a proceeding for criminal contempt, which arises under the provisions of this Act, shall bar a prosecution for a specific crime under the laws of the United States based upon the same act or omission.

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.