The Merger Doctrine
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The Merger doctrine is an important tool for Defense Attorneys. Simply put, if a Defendant's act meets the definition of multiple crimes, the lesser crimes will all merge into the more serious one. To quote the courts, “Merger refers generally to situations in which a Defendant is pro...
What is the Doctrine of Merger?
The doctrine of merger applies in a criminal setting where the defendant committed two or more crimes in a single act, but is only charged with one crime. Essentially, the multiple instances are "merged" by a judge, or combined into a single charge. According to the ...