(a) Consolidation Generally. Offenses or defendants properly joined under rule 4.3 shall be consolidated for trial unless the court orders severance pursuant to rule 4.4.(b) Failure to Join Related Offenses.(1) Two or more offenses are related offenses, for purposes of this rule, if they are within the jurisdiction and venue of the same court and are based on the same conduct.(2) When a defendant has been charged with two or more related offenses, the timely motion to consolidate them for trial should be granted unless the court determines that because the prosecuting attorney does not have sufficient evidence to warrant trying some of the offenses at that time, or for some other reason, the ends of justice would be defeated if the motion were granted. A defendant’s failure to so move constitutes a waiver of any right of consolidation as to related offenses with which the defendant knew he or she was charged.(3) A defendant who has been tried for one offense may thereafter move to dismiss a charge for a related offense, unless a motion for consolidation of these offenses was previously denied or the right of consolidation was waived as provided in this rule. The motion to dismiss must be made prior to the second trial, and shall be granted unless the court determines that because the prosecuting attorney was unaware of the facts constituting the related offense or did not have sufficient evidence to warrant trying this offense at the time of the first trial, or for some other reason, the ends of justice would be defeated if the motion were granted.(4) Entry of a plea of guilty to one offense does not bar the subsequent prosecution of a related offense unless the plea of guilty was entered on the basis of a plea agreement in which the prosecuting attorney agreed to seek or not to oppose dismissal of other related charges or not to prosecute other potential related charges.(c) Authority of Court To Act on Own Motion. The court may order consolidation for trial of two or more indictments or informations if the offenses or defendants could have been joined in a single charging document under rule 4.3.
Wash. Sup. Ct. Crim. R. 4.3.1
[Former Rule 4.3 A adopted effective September 1, 1995; redesignated as Rule 4.3.1 effective April 3, 2001.]
