Opinion ID: 1852218
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Heading: The Evolution of Minnesota's Joinder and Severance Standards

Text: The evolution of Minnesota's joinder and severance standards reflects the interplay of the common law, statutes, and our rules of criminal procedure. Under the common law, a district court had the discretion to grant or refuse separate trials. State v. Thaden, 43 Minn. 325, 326, 45 N.W. 614, 615 (1890). This standard was altered by statute, which gave a defendant charged with a felony an absolute right to a separate trial. Gen.Stat. 1878, c. 114,§ 6. In 1969, the statute was amended to permit a joint trial in the interests of justice: When two or more defendants shall be jointly indicted or informed against for a felony, they shall be tried separately, provided, however, upon written motion, the court, in the interest of justice and not related to time or economy may order a joint trial for any two or more said defendants. Act of May 27, 1969, ch. 801, § 1, 1969 Minn. Laws 1477 (codified at Minn.Stat. § 631.03 (1969)). The amended statute permitted joinder in the interest of justice, but continued the policy of strongly favoring separate trials. State v. Swenson, 301 Minn. 199, 201, 221 N.W.2d 706, 708 (1974). The Minnesota Rules of Criminal Procedure became effective on July 1, 1975. The joinder of defendants in felony and gross misdemeanor cases was governed by Rule 17.03, subd. 2(1), which closely mirrored the language of section 631.03. Minn. R.Crim. P. 17.03, subd. 2(1) (1975). Subdivision 2(1) provided: When two or more defendants shall be jointly charged with a felony, they shall be tried separately provided, however, upon written motion, the court in the interests of justice and not solely related to economy of time or expense may order a joint trial for any two or more said defendants. Id. The improper joinder of defendantsmisjoinderwas addressed in a separate subdivision, [3] subdivision 3, which provided that [m]isjoinder of offenses or charges or defendants shall not be grounds for dismissal, but on motion, offenses or defendants improperly joined shall be severed for trial. Minn. R.Crim. P. 17.03, subd. 3 (1975). The text of the 1975 rule, coupled with the rule's comments, indicate that there were separate severance standards for misjoined and properly joined defendants. The comments explained that under subdivision 3, severance was mandatory for misjoined defendants, but severance of properly joined defendants was governed by subdivision 2's standards. Minn. R.Crim. P. 17.03 cmt. (1975). Therefore, subdivision 2 provided a single standard for joinder and severance of properly joined defendants and this standard was the same regardless of whether the severance motion was made before or during trial. In 1987, the legislature enacted Minn.Stat. § 631.035 (Supp.1987), which removed the presumption in favor of separate trials contained in section 631.03. See Act of June 3, 1987, ch. 395, § 1, 1987 Minn. Laws 2972, 2973. The new statute granted a court the discretion to decide whether to order joint or separate trials based on certain factors. The factors to be considered are the nature of the offense charged, the impact of the offense on the victim, the potential prejudice to the defendant, and interests of justice. Minn.Stat.§ 631.035. Section 631.035 specifically provided: When two or more defendants are jointly charged with a felony, they may be tried separately or jointly in the discretion of the court. In making its determination on whether to order joinder or separate trials, the court shall consider the nature of the offense charged, the impact on the victim, the potential prejudice to the defendant, and the interests of justice. Id. The most recent amendments to the rules of criminal procedure regarding joinder and severance became effective on January 1, 1990. The revised rule mirrors the 1987 version of the statute. Subdivision 2(1) now provides: When two or more defendants are jointly charged with a felony, they may be tried separately or jointly in the discretion of the court. In making its determination on whether to order joinder or separate trials, the court shall consider the nature of the offense charged, the impact on the victim, the potential prejudice to the defendant, and the interests of justice. Minn. R.Crim. P. 17.03, subd. 2(1). Under the current version of the rules, subdivision 3 continues to provide that misjoinder of offenses is not grounds for dismissal but that, on motion, defendants improperly joined shall be severed for trial. Id., subd. 3. However, the current version includes a new provision, subdivision 3(3), which details a different standard for severance of defendants during trial. Id., subd. 3(3). This subdivision, for the first time, introduced the concept of manifest necessity: The court shall sever defendants during trial with the defendant's consent or upon a finding of manifest necessity, if the court determines severance is necessary to achieve a fair determination of the guilt or innocence of one or more of the defendants. Id. The comments to Rule 17.03 explain that subdivision 3(3) was derived from Unif. R.Crim. P. 472(b)(2)(ii) (1987), which is based on the ABA Standards for Criminal Justice 13-3.2(b)(ii) (2d ed.1980 & Supp.1986) (hereinafter referred to as ABA Standards). The comments also state that [w]hen defendants are properly already joined, severance is governed by Rule 17.03, subd. 2 and Rule 17.03, subd. 3. Minn. R.Crim. P. 17.03 cmt. Subdivisions 2 and 3 set the standard for severance for defendants who are properly joined. While the heading of subdivision 2(1) refers only to joinder of defendants, this subdivision also provides the rule for pretrial severance. Indeed, we reached this conclusion in DeVerney and evaluated the defendant's joinder and pretrial severance claims under subdivision 2(1). 592 N.W.2d at 841-42. The plain language of the rule establishes that subdivision 3(3) governs midtrial severance. Thus, the current version of Rule 17.03 contemplates one standard for joinder and pretrial severance and a different standard for midtrial severance. It is crucial to our analysis to understand that this scheme is different from that contained in the 1975 version of the Rules, which employed an identical standard for joinder, pretrial severance, and midtrial severance of properly joined defendants. See Minn. R.Crim. P. 17.03 (1975). In 1992, the legislature amended section 631.035, Act of Apr. 29, 1992, ch. 571, art. 9, § 1, 1992 Minn. Laws 1983, 2056. The statute reduced the factors the court must consider in evaluating whether severance is warranted. Minn.Stat. § 631.035. Subdivision 2 of the statute, which governs severance, now provides: If it appears that a defendant is prejudiced by a joinder of defendants in a complaint or indictment or by joinder for trial together, the court may, upon motion of the defendant or the court's own motion, order an election or separate trials of counts, grant a severance of defendants, or provide whatever other relief justice requires. In making its determination, the court shall consider the impact on the victim. Id., subd. 2. There have been no changes in the statute since 1992. Rule 17.03 has not been amended since 1990.