United States v. Andrews

United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

754 F. Supp 1161 (N.D. Ill.1990)

Relevant factsFree

38 members of the El Rukn street gang (defendants) were charged in a 175-count RICO indictment alleging over 250 criminal acts spanning more than two decades, including numerous murders, kidnapping, and large-scale drug trafficking, all consolidated into a single conspiracy indictment on the theory the acts furthered one racketeering enterprise; several defendants moved to sever under Rule 8(b) (improper joinder) or, alternatively, Rule 14 (prejudicial joinder).

IssueFree

Whether it is often proper to sever a trial when a large number of defendants face complex charges and a lengthy trial based on a single indictment.

Holding & reasoning

The court resolved the question by applying the controlling rule to the facts and explaining precisely why the outcome followed. Its reasoning ties the doctrine to the record so you can reproduce the analysis on an exam.

Procedural history, concurrence & dissent

This section traces the case from the trial court through appeal and lays out how each opinion lands. Separate writings sharpen the majority's limits and flag the arguments most likely to resurface in class.

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