State v. Reldan
Superior Court of New Jersey
167 N.J.Super. 595 (1979)
Relevant factsFree
Reldan (defendant) was indicted for two murders on a single indictment after two women from the same New Jersey area disappeared in October 1975 and were found, weeks later, strangled with pantyhose and bearing the same rare neck injury in remote areas of New York not far apart; the victims were similar in age, weight, and height. Reldan moved to sever the charges, arguing that trying them together would prejudice him.
IssueFree
Whether the joining of two very similar crimes into one trial will be prejudicial to the defendant, warranting severance.