Opinion ID: 2725
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Constructive Amendment through the Bill of Particulars

Text: 113 Defendants argue that the Superseding Indictment was impermissibly broadened by the Bill, which specified the conduct the government intended when it used the phrase among other things in the indictment. 114 An indictment that fulfills the requirements of Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 7(c)(1) but is nonetheless insufficient to permit the preparation of an adequate defense may be supplemented with a bill of particulars. United States v. DiCesare, 765 F.2d 890, 897 (9th Cir.1985); see also United States v. Bortnovsky, 820 F.2d 572, 574 (2d Cir.1987). A bill of particulars enabl[es a] defendant to prepare for trial, to prevent surprise, and to interpose a plea of double jeopardy should he be prosecuted a second time for the same offense. United States v. Davidoff, 845 F.2d 1151, 1154 (2d Cir.1988) (quoting Bortnovsky, 820 F.2d at 574). While it is a settled rule that a bill of particulars cannot save an invalid indictment, Russell v. United States, 369 U.S. 749, 770, 82 S.Ct. 1038, 8 L.Ed.2d 240 (1962), the bill's purpose is to advise the defendant of the specific acts of which he is accused, United States v. Walsh, 194 F.3d 37, 47 (2d Cir.1999) (internal quotation marks omitted). Thus, a bill of particulars may contain facts not alleged in the indictment. Cf. United States v. Jaswal, 47 F.3d 539, 542-543 (2d Cir.1995) (indictment that did not allege year of commission of offense was not defective; defendants could have demand[ed] a bill of particulars specifying the date of the offense they were charged with); United States v. Bagaric, 706 F.2d 42, 61-62 (2d Cir.1983), overruled on other grounds by Nat'l Org. for Women, Inc. v. Scheidler, 510 U.S. 249, 114 S.Ct. 798, 127 L.Ed.2d 99 (1994). 115 We have examined the Superseding Indictment and the Bill and are confident that the Bill merely particularizes the indictment by advising Defendants of the specific acts of which they are accused. Walsh, 194 F.3d at 47. The acts alleged in the Bill regard the matter of proof to sustain the charges in the indictment-including conspiracy to commit securities fraud, to make and cause to be made false statements in filings with the SEC, and to commit bank fraud; securities fraud; and bank fraud. United States v. Mayo, 230 F.Supp. 85, 86 (S.D.N.Y.1964) (Weinfeld, J.). The Bill does not impermissibly add additional charges. 42 See United States v. Pope, 189 F.Supp. 12, 26 (S.D.N.Y.1960) (Weinfeld, J.). The Bill of Particulars did not constructively amend the Superseding Indictment.