Opinion ID: 158952
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Amendment or Variance to Indictment

Text: 8 The defendant first argues that the district court erred in changing the name of the alleged victim in Count III of the Indictment after the close of the evidence at trial. The standard of review by this court is de novo. See United States v. Carnall, et al, 885 F.2d 656 (10th Cir. 1989). 9 In United States v. Radestsky, 535 F.2d 556 (10th Cir. 1975), this Court set forth the purposes and requirements of a grand jury indictment. 10 First, the indictment must contain the elements of the offense and sufficiently apprise the defendant of what he must be prepared to meet; second, it must be such as to show to what extent he may plead a former acquittal or conviction as a bar to further prosecution for the same cause.... And a purpose corollary to the first is that the indictment inform the court of the facts alleged, so that it may decide whether they are sufficient in law to support a conviction, if one should be had.... Furthermore, and of paramount importance, a sufficient indictment is required to implement the Fifth Amendment guaranty and make clear the charges so as to limit a defendant's jeopardy to offenses charged by a group of his fellow citizens, and to avoid his conviction on facts not found, or perhaps not even presented to the grand jury that indicted him.... 11 Id. at 562 (citations omitted). The law is clear that once an indictment has been returned, the charges may not be broadened through amendment unless done by the grand jury itself. See United States v. Wright, 932 F.2d 868 (10th Cir. 1991). However, there is a distinction between an amendment and a variance to an indictment. See United States v. Beeler, 587 F.2d 340 (6th Cir. 1978). A variance occurs when the proof introduced at trial differs materially from the facts alleged in the indictment. In contrast, an amendment involves a change, whether literal or in effect, in the terms of the indictment. Id. at 342. While an amendment to an indictment constitutes reversible error, a variance will only be regarded as error if the defendant shows not only that the variance exists, but also that it is fatal. The burden of proof is on the defendant to show that the variance was such that the defendant may have been convicted of an offense other than that charged by the grand jury. See Id. 12 As a general rule, an erroneous reference to the victim is not fatal to the indictment. See Dye v. Sacks, 279 F.2d 834 (6th Cir. 1960). In the case at hand, the Indictment named the victim as Brent Byers. Brent Byers was the victim's husband, and was the registered owner of the car. None of the evidence presented at trial suggested that Brent Byers was present during the bank robbery. Mr. Byers did not testify at trial. However, the victim Anne Byers did testify at trial and was cross examined by the defendant. The defendant argued at trial as a defense that he was not guilty because he did not take the car from the person or presence of another and he used the testimony of Anne Byers in support of that argument. At no point during trial was the name of Brent Byers discussed. Where a variance is such that the defendant could not have anticipated from the allegations in the indictment what the evidence would be at trial, the defendant's Sixth Amendment right to notice of the charges against him is violated. See United States v. Stoner, 98 F.3d 527, 536 (10th Cir. 1996) cert. denied, 119 S.Ct. 403 (1998). However, where the defendant was not misled by the variance, his right to adequate notice and substantial rights are not prejudiced in any way. Id. at 536-537. Based upon the record before this court it does not appear that the defendant was prejudiced in any way by the variance to the Indictment. Mr. Moore was aware of the charges against him and presented his defense with the knowledge that Anne Byers was the alleged victim of the crime. 13 Further, the variance did not affect Mr. Moore's substantial rights because the Double Jeopardy Clause would protect him from another prosecution. A variance crosses the line only when it creates `a substantial likelihood' that a defendant may have been `convicted of an offense other than that charged by the grand jury.' United States v. Hathaway, 798 F.2d 902 (6th Cir. 1986) (citations omitted). Although this Court finds that the variance in this matter did not prejudice the defendant, this Court does not go so far as to create a per se rule that it is never reversible error to change the name of a victim in an indictment, particularly at the close of trial as was the case here. There may certainly be circumstances where this type of variance to an indictment could be fatal. This case, however, does not present those type of circumstances.