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Post by Logan on Jun 10, 2016 4:50:39 GMT -6
The Supreme Court says Puerto Rico remains a U.S. territory without the independent powers of a sovereign state when it comes to enforcement of criminal law. The justices’ 6-2 ruling on the Puerto Rico v. Sánchez Valle case says Congress is the ultimate source of the island’s legal power even though Puerto Rico has its own constitution. The Double Jeopardy Clause bars Puerto Rico and the United States from successively prosecuting a single person for the same conduct under equivalent criminal laws,” reads the court’s decision, which was released Thursday morning. The Supreme Court was slated to answer the question of whether Puerto Rico and the United States are separate sovereigns for purposes of the double jeopardy clause, which provides that a person cannot be prosecuted twice for the same offense. The case involves whether two individuals convicted for weapons violations by federal court can be prosecuted for the same crime by a local court. Read more: cb.pr/justices-rule-against-puerto-rico-in-fight-over-criminal-law/
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