Graves v. State

CHARLES E. ORTH, Jr., Retired, Specially Assigned Judge.

We issued a writ of certiorari in this case to answer the question whether Maryland Rule 745, dealing with joint and separate trials in criminal causes, applies to both court trials and jury trials.

Murray Knight Graves was charged with committing criminal offenses by two indictments filed in the Circuit Court for Howard County. The indictments represented separate incidents. Each indictment, however, presented a charge of burglary and charges of theft following therefrom. The indictments were consolidated for trial over the objection of…