Opinion ID: 75831
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Modification of Forfeiture Instructions

Text: 6 Descent also contends that the district court erred by modifying the jury instructions, after the jury had commenced deliberations, to permit a forfeiture judgment of up to $1,688,845, rather than the $1,288,140 that was permitted under the court's original instructions. Specifically, Descent argues that the modification violated Fed.R.Crim.P. 30 and constituted a constructive amendment to the indictment. We conclude that the district court did not constructively amend the indictment, but we agree that the district court violated Rule 30. 7 A constructive amendment to the indictment occurs where the jury instructions so modify the elements of the offense charged that the defendant may have been convicted on a ground not alleged by the indictment. United States v. Poarch, 878 F.2d 1355, 1358 (11th Cir.1989). A constructive amendment to the indictment is reversible error per se. See id. Descent asserts that, because the indictment sought forfeiture only of property involved in or traceable to the money laundering counts, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 982(a)(1), and because only $1,288,140 were involved in or traceable to those counts, the modified instructions impermissibly broadened the scope of the indictment and permitted the jury to find him guilty of an offense not charged therein. We disagree. Decisions relating to forfeiture are matters of sentencing, and are thus separate from the determination of guilt. United States v. Hill, 177 F.3d 1251, 1253 (11th Cir.1999). Therefore, a change in the jury instructions concerning forfeiture does not affect the determination of guilt or innocence and, accordingly, does not modify the elements of the offense charged. For these reasons, the district court's modified jury instructions did not constructively amend the indictment. 8 The modification, however, did violate Rule 30, which requires the district court to inform counsel of its proposed action upon requested jury instructions prior to closing arguments. See Fed.R.Crim.P. 30. This court requires substantial compliance with Rule 30, and a defendant must show prejudice before his conviction will be reversed. United States v. Clark, 732 F.2d 1536, 1541 (11th Cir.1984). Such prejudice occurs when the change in the instructions is substantial, when the instructions repudiate counsel's arguments, or when the instructions impair the effectiveness of those arguments. See id.; see also United States v. White, 27 F.3d 1531, 1538 (11th Cir.1994). 9 In this case, the district court sustained Descent's pre-argument objection to the forfeiture amount alleged in the indictment and ruled that only $1,288,140 was subject to forfeiture. In accordance with this ruling, Descent's counsel addressed that amount in his closing argument, and the district court instructed the jury that the Government was seeking forfeiture in that amount. After the jury commenced deliberations, however, it submitted a question to the court asking if it could increase the amount of forfeiture to $1,688,845, representing the total loss to the victims of the fraud. After discussing the question with the parties, the court changed its previous ruling with regard to the amount of forfeiture and instructed the jury that it could find any amount up to $1,688,845.41. The jury returned a forfeiture verdict in that amount. 10 We agree with Descent, and the Government concedes, that the court's modification prevented Descent's counsel from addressing in his closing argument the entire amount found by the jury, and it thus impaired the effectiveness of that argument. We disagree with Descent, however, as to the proper remedy for the district court's error. Descent asserts that we should vacate the forfeiture judgment and remand the case to the district court for further proceedings on that issue. As the Government points out, however, Descent does not challenge the district court's initial ruling that $1,288,140 was subject to forfeiture, and the jury necessarily included that amount in its verdict. We therefore vacate the district court's forfeiture judgment and remand to the district court with instructions to enter a new judgment of forfeiture in the amount of $1,288,140.