Opinion ID: 1573016
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Whether the Prosecution is Barred Under Article I, Section 12 of the Iowa Constitution.

Text: Defendant asserted in the district court and that court agreed that article I, section 12 of the Iowa Constitution contains a version of double jeopardy based on collateral estoppel that is similar to the doctrine recognized in Ashe for purposes of the federal double jeopardy clause. The district court also accepted defendant's argument that collateral estoppel may be invoked for double jeopardy purposes under Iowa law even when the initial prosecution is by a different sovereign. The State contends that the latter conclusion is faulty. We agree. Defendant's argument on this matter is primarily a suggestion that we apply collateral estoppel principles applicable in civil actions to criminal prosecutions. The many considerations that militate in favor of preserving sovereignty of this state for purposes of enforcing its laws cause us to reject that contention. More than eighty years ago in Moore, this court essentially adopted the same view of dual sovereignty as that which is now contained in federal law and discussed in the prior division of this opinion. See Moore, 143 Iowa at 242, 121 N.W. at 1053. We can perceive of no valid reason for diluting this aspect of state sovereignty based on the results that occur in prosecutions under the laws of another jurisdiction.