October Term 2008 · Docket 08-67
Can the government retry hung counts after a jury acquits other charges?
The dispute centers on whether double jeopardy bars the government from retrying hung counts when a jury simultaneously acquits the defendant on other charges.
Verified source milestones
- — An official oral-argument transcript was verified.
The arguments, in order
This case may have been argued more than once. Each entry below uses that session's official transcript. Later arguments do not erase earlier ones.
Argument 1 ·
What happened at the argument
Mr. Dreeben argued that continuing jeopardy allows the government to retry hung counts.
Mr. Buffone argued that acquittals resolve issues in the defendant's favor.
Justice Kennedy noted that hung counts might be meaningless to the jury's intent.
Justice Ginsburg clarified that the dispute involves issue preclusion, not claim preclusion.
Read the official transcript for this argument · Official argument details
Sources used for this argument breakdown
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 29-35 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 29-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 9-23 — Transcript, file page 11, lines 9-23
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 12, lines 11-21 — Transcript, file page 12, lines 11-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 21, lines 17-51 — Transcript, file page 21, lines 17-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-37 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 39-3 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 39-3
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-15 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 7-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 39-9 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 39-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 21-37 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 21-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 3-9 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 3-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 37-49 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 37-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 15-23 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 15-23
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 29-31 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 29-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 17-19 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 17-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 37-5 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 37-5
A citizen's guide to the whole case
What this case is about
The case asks if the government can retry hung counts after a jury acquits other charges. the side that brought the case argues that acquittals resolve specific issues in the defendant's favor. The government argues that hung counts are not verdicts and allow retrial. The Court must decide if issue preclusion applies to these simultaneous outcomes.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 21, lines 17-51 — Transcript, file page 21, lines 17-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-37 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-37
How the case got here
The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on March 23, 2009.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-15 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 7-15
What each side wants
the side that brought the case wants the Court to bar the government from retrying the hung counts.
The government wants the Court to allow the retrial of the hung counts.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 21, lines 17-51 — Transcript, file page 21, lines 17-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-37 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-37
What each side says
the side that brought the case argues that acquittals resolve specific issues in the defendant's favor.
The government argues that hung counts are not verdicts and do not resolve issues.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 21, lines 17-51 — Transcript, file page 21, lines 17-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-37 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-37
What the justices asked
Justice Alito asked why the jury could not find no fraud based on an omission theory.
Justice Souter asked if the cross-examination sufficiently established the point of the argument.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 29-35 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 29-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 9-23 — Transcript, file page 11, lines 9-23
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 12, lines 11-21 — Transcript, file page 12, lines 11-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 39-3 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 39-3
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 39-9 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 39-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 21-37 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 21-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 3-9 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 3-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 37-49 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 37-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 15-23 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 15-23
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 29-31 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 29-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 17-19 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 17-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 37-5 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 37-5
Why it matters
This case defines the finality of jury acquittals. It determines whether specific findings in an acquittal block future prosecutions. The outcome shapes the scope of double jeopardy protections for defendants facing multiple charges.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 21, lines 17-51 — Transcript, file page 21, lines 17-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-37 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-37
What happens next
This article currently covers the argument record. Use the official docket link for later case activity.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 29-35 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 29-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 9-23 — Transcript, file page 11, lines 9-23
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 12, lines 11-21 — Transcript, file page 12, lines 11-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 39-3 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 39-3
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-15 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 7-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 39-9 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 39-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 21-37 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 21-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 3-9 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 3-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 37-49 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 37-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 15-23 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 15-23
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 29-31 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 29-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 17-19 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 17-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 37-5 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 37-5
Official Court provenance
Official docket and case history · Official Supreme Court oral-argument detail page
Title and summary sources
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 21, lines 17-51 — Transcript, file page 21, lines 17-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-37 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 21, lines 17-51 — Transcript, file page 21, lines 17-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-37 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-37
Revision history
- Revision 1 · Official Transcript ·
Correction: Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.
- Revision 2 · Official Transcript ·
Correction: Migrated to the dated official Court activity contract without model use.