Rule 23.05 Misdemeanors or Felonies - Indictment or Information - Joinder of Offenses

Prosecutors can combine multiple criminal charges into a single case if those charges are connected in certain ways. This is called joinder, and it lets the court handle related charges together instead of running separate trials for each one.

Charges can be joined if they are similar in nature, even if they happened at different times. They can also be joined if they came from the same event, or from a series of actions that are linked together, like a string of crimes that were part of one larger scheme.

For someone facing charges, this means you might see several counts listed in one document, even if they feel like separate incidents to you. The state does not need to file a new case for each charge as long as the charges fit one of these connections. This approach saves time and keeps related evidence and testimony in front of the same judge and jury.