The Grand Jury as an Evidence That the People Rule An Account of the Work of One Grand Jury XII. RIGHTS OF ACCUSED Acquittal By Jury Final—Accused Not Compelled To Be A Witness Now keeping in mind that this is a personal matter with each one of us, that we are talking about our own rights, that some day our liberties may be in danger, let us take up the next guaranty of the Constitution: “_nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb_”.(62) I am sure you do not know what that means. I am sure there is not one of you who ever dreamed that such a thing might happen to you as to be “twice put in jeopardy of life or limb”. This is very important and likewise very simple. In the olden days, in the old world, many a man was tried for a crime in court and found not guilty, and then later was arrested and put on trial again and found guilty. Suppose your father, as I said the other day, should be arrested, although he were innocent. Suppose he were indicted by this grand jury and brought on for trial. He would be compelled to hire a lawyer, if he were able to, and get ready for trial. The trial would come on, and days or possibly weeks might be spent in examining witnesses. Finally the case would close and the jury would bring in a verdict of “not guilty”. It would be an expensive proceeding. Perhaps it would take all the money he had saved. It would not only be expensive but it would be a hard strain upon him, your mother, the other children, and yourself. It is a very serious matter for an innocent man to be tried for murder. Still the verdict of “not guilty” comes in and you are all full of joy to realize that his life and liberty have been saved. Now suppose it were possible that within a couple of weeks afterwards he could again be arrested, indicted, put on trial. All of the family would again be subjected to worry and sorrow. You do not think it would be just, do you? It would not be right. Of course it wouldn’t be right, but men in the olden days have been compelled to submit to such injustices. So when the Constitution was adopted this guaranty which I just read was put in there, so that for any offense against the United States no man can be tried again after acquittal. Once a jury of his fellowmen, his neighbors, brings in a verdict of “not guilty” that ends forever any prosecution for the same offense. He is free and there is no power in the United States nor any of its officers to call him again for trial for that offense. Most of the States have a like constitutional guaranty. Then there is another important guaranty: “_nor shall (he) be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself_”.(63)