jeopardy
Jeopardy is a danger of harm or the risk of loss.
In legal contexts, jeopardy often refers to the danger of punishment and criminal liability that a defendant faces at trial. Jeopardy attaches at the moment a prosecution commences: in a jury trial, it is when the jury is sworn in (impaneled); in a bench trial, it is when the first witness is sworn.
See also: double jeopardy.
[Last reviewed in July of 2026 by the Wex Definitions Team]
Wex