Cuomo Signs Bill Closing 'Double Jeopardy' Loophole [POLL]

In New York now, it's not a guarantee you would be off the hook for criminal charges if you are fortunate enough to get a pardon from the president of the United States. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, signed a law Wednesday that closes the state's so-called "double jeopardy" loophole.

The new legislation allows prosecutors to bring state charges against people who have received a pardon for a similar federal offense.

"No one is above the law and New York will not turn a blind eye to criminality, no matter who seeks to protect them," Cuomo said in a statement.

The law is thought to be a way to stop President Donald Trump from helping associates evade criminal penalties in New York.

State Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, introduced the law, NBC News said.

She has been investigating the president's and the Trump Organization's finances since earlier this year.

"Double jeopardy" exists, James said, to keep someone from being charged for the same crime twice, not to evade justice completely.

Opponents of the bill, including Republican Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb, called it a waste of time and taxpayer money, CNN reported.

The Canandaigua resident said it was "political grandstanding involved in targeting President Trump at a state level."

Now it's your turn to weigh in on the issue. Vote in our unscientific poll and tell us what you think in the comments.