Opinion ID: 1906630
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Double Jeopardy Bar

Text: Appellant alleges prior counsels' ineffectiveness in failing to raise a double jeopardy bar to his January, 1982 trial. In November of 1981, Appellant's case was scheduled for trial, and two days of jury selection proceeded before the Commonwealth asked that the trial be continued, which Appellant's counsel did not oppose. The trial court granted the Commonwealth's request, the six jurors selected during the November, 1981 trial were dismissed, and a new jury empaneled for the January, 1982 trial. Appellant claims trial counsel was ineffective for failing to argue that double jeopardy barred his January, 1982 trial. This claim is without merit. Double jeopardy attaches only when a defendant is put to trial before the trier of facts. Commonwealth v. Thorpe, 549 Pa. 343, 347, 701 A.2d 488, 489 (1997). For double jeopardy purposes, a trial begins when the jury is empaneled and sworn. Commonwealth v. Sullens, 533 Pa. 99, 104, 619 A.2d 1349, 1352 (1992). Here, double jeopardy did not attach during the aborted November proceedings, because the jury had not been empaneled and sworn.