§ 22-3204 Joinder of defendants; separate trials.

If several people are charged together with a crime, they usually go to trial together as a group. But this rule lets the court split things up. Either one of the defendants or the prosecutor can ask the court for a separate trial instead of a joint one.

The judge has the final say on whether to grant this request. This option exists because sometimes a joint trial isn't fair or practical. For example, evidence against one defendant might unfairly influence the jury's view of another, or one defendant's defense might conflict with another's in a way that causes problems.

If you're charged alongside other people and you think a joint trial would hurt your case, you can ask the judge for your own separate trial. The prosecutor has this same option if they believe separating the cases would work better for their side.