Legal Question in Criminal Law in California

Is it possible

Is it possible to be charged with three crimes, but go to trail on each charge indivilually?, or do you have to go to trail on the three charges together.


Asked on 12/22/03, 6:36 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Edward Hoffman Law Offices of Edward A. Hoffman

Re: Is it possible

Ordinarily, if the three crimes were committed during the same incident or as part of an ongoing course of conduct, they would be tried together. If they were committed separately, they would normally be tried separately.

Both the prosecution and the defense have the right to ask that separate cases be joined or that distinct charges within a single case be severed and tried separately.

If the three crimes are charged by different governments (e.g., two different states and the federal government), then the trials will remain separate. Within California, crimes charged in different counties are also likely to result in separate trials, unless they were part of an ongoing course of conduct in which case one county would ordinarily prosecute all of them.

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Answered on 12/22/03, 6:58 pm


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