Rule 14 Relief from Prejudicial Joinder

When multiple charges or multiple defendants get combined into one case, it can sometimes cause problems for a fair trial. This rule gives the judge power to fix that. If putting charges or people together in the same trial would unfairly hurt a defendant's chances or hurt the government's case, the judge can step in and separate them.

The judge has a few options to solve this problem. They can order separate trials for different charges, split up defendants so each gets their own trial, or take other steps to make things fair. The goal is to prevent a situation where combining cases makes it harder for someone to get a fair shake.

The rule also gives judges a tool to help decide if separating defendants is necessary. If a defendant asks for a separate trial, the judge can privately look at any statements or confessions the government plans to use as evidence against the co-defendants. Reviewing this evidence ahead of time helps the judge figure out whether a joint trial would actually create problems, like one defendant's confession unfairly affecting another defendant's case.