AUTREFOIS

autrefois (oh-tr<<schwa>>-fwahoroh-t<<schwa>>r-foyz). [Law French] On another occasion;

formerly.

autrefois acquit (<<schwa>>-kwitor a-kee). A  plea in bar of arraignment that the  defendant

has  been  acquitted  of  the  offense.  —  Also  termed  former  acquittal.  See  DOUBLE  JEOPARDY.

[Cases: Criminal Law    289–297; Double Jeopardy    100.1. C.J.S. Criminal Law §§ 381–383.]

“Suppose that a transgressor is charged and acquitted for lack of evidence, and evidence has

now come to light showing beyond doubt that he committed the crime. Even so, he cannot be tried

a second time. He has what is termed, in legal Frenglish, the defence of autrefois acquit. Similarly,

if he is convicted, even though he is let off very lightly, he cannot afterwards be charged on fresh

evidence, because he will have the defence of autrefois convict. These uncouth phrases have never

been  superseded,  though  they  might  well  be  called  the  defence  of  ‘previous  acquittal’  and

‘previous  conviction’;  and  ‘double  jeopardy’  makes  an  acceptable  generic  name  for  both.”

Glanville Williams, Textbook of Criminal Law 24 (1978).

autrefois attaint  (<<schwa>>-taynt).Hist.  A  plea  in  bar  that  the  defendant  has  already  been

attainted for one felony and therefore cannot be prosecuted for another.

autrefois convict.A  plea  in  bar  of  arraignment  that  the  defendant  has  been  convicted  of  the

offense.  See  DOUBLE  JEOPARDY.  [Cases:  Criminal  Law    289–297;  Double  Jeopardy    105.

C.J.S. Criminal Law §§ 240, 381–383.][Blacks Law 8th]