What legal concept prevents someone from being tried for the same crime twice?

The legal concept that prevents someone from being tried for the same crime twice is known as double jeopardy. This principle is enshrined in the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which protects individuals from facing multiple prosecutions or punishments for the same offense. The purpose of double jeopardy is to ensure fairness in the legal system, shielding defendants from the continuous threat of legal action and the burden of defending against repeated charges for the same act. This provision serves to uphold the integrity of trial verdicts, as a person who has been acquitted cannot be retried for that same crime, and likewise, a person convicted of a crime cannot be punished again for the same offense after serving their sentence or receiving a pardon.

The other concepts listed, such as due process, pertain to the fair treatment through the judicial system; the exclusionary rule deals with the inadmissibility of evidence obtained illegally; and the rule of law refers to the principle that all individuals and entities are subject to the law, promoting equality and justice. While these concepts are important within the legal framework, they do not specifically address the issue of being tried for the same crime multiple times, which is the key focus of the double jeopardy protection.