mul·ti·plic·i·ty /ˌməl-tə-'pli-sə-tē/ n pl -ties
1 a: the quality or state of being multiple or various
b: the charging of a single criminal act or offense as multiple separate charges or counts of an indictment or information
multiplicity does not require dismissal of the indictment — W. R. LaFave and J. H. Israel compare duplicity 2, misjoinder
◇ Multiplicity raises the risk of violating the double jeopardy protection against receiving multiple sentences for a single offense. Multiplicity is a defect that can be corrected without dismissal of the case.
2: a great number
joinder is allowed to avoid a multiplicity of actions
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.