Acquittal Does Not Preclude Punishment

From the Los Angeles Times's David G. Savage:

"The Supreme Court declined Monday to reconsider a legal rule that might surprise most Americans: Judges can punish defendants for certain crimes even after a jury has acquitted them of those charges.

In recent years, the justices have described the right to jury trial as one of the bedrock principles of American law. At the same time, they have been unwilling to say that a jury's not-guilty verdict on some charges means the defendant cannot be punished. Instead, the court has said judges may take into account 'acquitted conduct' when they decide on a prison term."

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An interesting article on what the treatment of a Wisconsin drug dealer reveals about a little-known element of judicial procedure.