Opinion ID: 4014078
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Misjoinder and Severability

Text: Colbert argues that his conspiracy counts were misjoined with his firearmrelated counts under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 8(a). “We review de novo a decision to join counts together into a single indictment.” United States v. Midkiff, 614 F.3d 431, 439 (8th Cir. 2010). Rule 8(a) provides for the joinder of multiple offenses that “are of the same or similar character, or are based on the same act or transaction, or are connected with or constitute parts of a common scheme or plan.” Here, the charges were properly joined because all of the charges arose from the same act, Colbert’s participation in a cocaine-distribution conspiracy. Specifically, the indictment charged Colbert with possession and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of the drug-trafficking conspiracy for which he was also charged in that indictment. -12- The remaining firearm-related offenses are in turn based on the same firearm as the possession-and-discharge offense. Joinder was therefore proper. Joinder being proper, we turn to whether the district court erred in denying Colbert’s severance motion. We review a district court’s denial of a severance motion for abuse of discretion, and “we will reverse only when that abuse of discretion results in severe or clear prejudice.” United States v. Robinson, 781 F.3d 453, 461 (8th Cir. 2015) (quoting United States v. Reynolds, 720 F.3d 665, 669 (8th Cir. 2013)); see also Fed. R. Crim. P. 14(a). No such prejudice exists “when evidence of the joined offense would be properly admissible in a separate trial for the other crime.” Id. (quoting Reynolds, 720 F.3d at 670). Under the circumstances of this case, the same evidence would be admissible at trials for both the conspiracy and the firearm-related offenses. For example, the empty plastic bags containing cocaine residue that were recovered from the bathroom at the Hillcrest Street house would have been admissible as evidence of Colbert’s involvement in the cocainedistribution conspiracy at a trial for the conspiracy offenses and as evidence that Colbert was not acting in self defense at a trial for the firearm-related offenses. The district court thus did not abuse its discretion in denying the motion to sever.