Joinder, severance and consolidation

§ 311.6. Joinder, severance and consolidation. 1. Two crimes are
joinable and may be included as separate counts in the same petition
when:

(a) they are based upon the same act or upon the same criminal
transaction, as that term is defined in subdivision two; or

(b) even though based upon different criminal transactions, such
crimes, or the criminal transactions underlying them, are of such nature
that either proof of the first crime would be material and admissible as
evidence in chief upon a fact-finding hearing of the second, or proof of
the second would be material and admissible as evidence in chief upon a
fact-finding hearing of the first; or

(c) even though based upon different criminal transactions, and even
though not joinable pursuant to paragraph (b), such crimes are defined
by the same or similar statutory provisions and consequently are the
same or similar in law.

2. "Criminal transaction" means conduct which establishes at least one
crime, and which is comprised of two or more or a group of acts either:

(a) so closely related and connected in point of time and circumstance
of commission as to constitute a single criminal incident; or

(b) so closely related in criminal purpose or objective as to
constitute elements or integral parts of a single criminal venture.

3. In any case where two or more crimes or groups of crimes charged in
a petition are based upon different criminal transactions, and where
their joinability rests solely upon the fact that such crimes, or as the
case may be at least one offense of each group, are the same or similar
in law, as prescribed in paragraph (c) of subdivision one, the court, in
the interest of justice and for good cause shown, may upon application
of either the respondent or the presentment agency order that any one of
such crimes or groups of crimes be tried separately from the other or
others, or that two or more thereof be tried together but separately
from two or more others thereof. Such application must be made within
the period prescribed in section 332.2.

4. When two or more petitions against the same respondent charge
different crimes of a kind that are joinable in a single petition
pursuant to subdivision one, the court may, upon application of either
the presentment agency or respondent order that such petitions be
consolidated and treated as a single petition for trial purposes. Such
application must be made within the period prescribed in section 332.2.
If the respondent requests consolidation with respect to crimes which
are, pursuant to paragraph (a) of subdivision one, of a kind that are
joinable in a single petition by reason of being based upon the same act
or criminal transaction, the court must order such consolidation unless
good cause to the contrary be shown.