A constitutional protection that prevents a person from being tried twice for the same crime after being acquitted or convicted. It's enshrined in the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
From Old French 'jeu parti' meaning 'divided game,' referring to a game with even chances of winning or losing. The legal concept emerged from English common law's principle that no one should be 'vexed twice for the same cause.'
You can actually be tried for the same act multiple times if it violates different sovereigns' laws! The same bank robbery can be prosecuted by both state and federal courts because they're separate sovereigns with different laws.
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