§ 136.470 Conviction or acquittal of one or more of several defendants

When several people are charged together in the same case, the court doesn't have to treat them all the same way. Each defendant's guilt or innocence is decided separately, even though they're part of the same case.

This means one person on trial can be found guilty while another person charged in the same case can be found not guilty. The jury or judge looks at the evidence against each person individually. Being charged alongside someone else doesn't mean you share their outcome, and it doesn't mean the whole group has to be convicted or acquitted together.

In short, this rule protects each defendant's right to be judged on their own facts and evidence, not lumped in with what happens to co-defendants.