subject: What Rights Do Criminal Defendants Have? [print this page] However, it is possible for a criminal defendant to face claims in civil court after these criminal charges. For example, though the government has already charged Bob for killing Joe, Joe's wife may also want to sue Bob for murdering her husband. This is not double jeopardy because the government is not charging him twice, another individual is suing the defendant. It is also possible for the federal government and the state government to charge a defendant for the same crime.
