Opinion ID: 1023116
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Response to Jury’s Inquiries

Text: The next Anders issue is whether the district court abused its discretion in handling the jury’s questions and requests. This court reviews a district court’s decision to respond to a jury’s question, and the form of that response, for abuse of discretion. United States v. Smith, 62 F.3d 641, 646 (4th Cir. 1995). “[I]n responding to a jury’s request for clarification on a charge, the district court’s duty is simply to respond to the jury’s apparent source of confusion fairly and accurately without creating prejudice.” Id. An error requires reversal only if it is prejudicial in the context of the record as a whole. See United States v. United Med. & Surgical Supply Corp., 989 F.2d 1390, 1406-07 (4th Cir. 1993). Our review of the record leads us to - 15 - conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion in handling any of the jury’s requests.