Opinion ID: 1435910
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The bill of particulars, variance, and prejudice.

Text: Notwithstanding our rejection of Roberts' claim of constructive amendment, we agree with him that the evidence presented by the prosecution at trial, at least as to rape, cannot readily be reconciled with the government's bill of particulars. The prosecutor there represented that the incident underlying the rape charge occurred in October 1992, and evidence of that offense was duly introduced at the trial. But as noted above, the trial jury also heard of a second alleged rape, namely, the one that took place in May 1992 and resulted in the birth of K.L.W.'s daughter. The prosecutor then asked the jury to find [Roberts] guilty of rape, for when he raped her all of the times after she turned sixteen. The jurors were never told which was the charged offense. The judge instructed the jury that Roberts had been charged with one count each of carnal knowledge and rape, that there had been evidence of more than one act, and that the jurors had to agree unanimously that all of the elements of carnal knowledge or rape had been proved on at least one occasion before they could convict Roberts of either count. There was no objection to this instruction or to the consideration by the jury of alleged sexual assaults not identified in the bill of particulars. The function of a bill of particulars is to enable the accused to prepare for trial and to prevent surprise, and to this end the government is strictly limited to proving what it has set forth in it. United States v. Murray, 297 F.2d 812, 819 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 369 U.S. 828, 82 S.Ct. 845, 7 L.Ed.2d 794 (1962). Courts must therefore view with suspicion attempts by parties to adduce proof of facts which modify or contradict assertions recorded in their bill of particulars. United States v. Glaze, 313 F.2d 757, 759 (2d Cir.1963). In light of these authorities, Roberts might well have been in a position to insist, on the basis of the government's bill of particulars, that the jury be limited to consideration of his guilt or innocence only of the October rape. Had such a request been made on variance grounds, the trial judge might well have granted it. But it is well settled that a variance between the proof and the bill of particulars is not grounds for reversal unless the appellant is prejudiced by the variance. Id.; see also United States v. Francisco, 575 F.2d 815, 818 (10th Cir. 1978). The court explained in Francisco that [p]rejudice is normally considered to be present if there is danger [that] the accused will be prosecuted a second time for the same offense, or that he was so surprised by the proof that he was unable to prepare his defense adequately. Id. at 819 (citations omitted). The court indicated that a defendant's failure to ask for a continuance may defeat a claim of surprise. Id. In the present case, there was no prejudice. [I]t can hardly be doubted that [Roberts] would be fully protected from again being put in jeopardy for the same offense[s], particularly when it is remembered that [he] could rely [not only upon the indictment but also] upon other parts of the present record in the event that future proceedings should be taken against [him]. Russell, supra, 369 U.S. at 764, 82 S.Ct. 1038; accord, Nichols v. United States, 343 A.2d 336, 343 (D.C. 1975); Lakin, supra, 517 A.2d at 847. We agree with the government that [h]ere, the indictment and trial transcript would adequately protect [Roberts] against subsequent jeopardy for any act of sodomy, carnal knowledge or rape against complainant during the entire period alleged in the indictment. Indeed, we do not understand counsel for Roberts to be arguing to the contrary. Roberts likewise has made no claim of surprise. At trial, he made no objection to the consideration of incidents not specified in the bill of particulars, nor did he request a continuance when they were mentioned. Moreover, this was Roberts' second trial. Although the transcript of his first trial is not before us, we are aware of no allegation by Roberts that he was surprised at his second trial by the introduction of evidence of incidents not disclosed at the earlier trial before Judge Duncan-Peters. Given the lack of prejudice, we do not believe that the law is or should be so preoccupied with theory that practical consequences must be disregarded. Helm v. United States, 555 A.2d 465, 469 (D.C. 1989). As the Supreme Court remarked in the context of a dispute over the sufficiency of an indictment, [c]onvictions are no longer reversed because of minor and technical deficiencies which did not prejudice the accused. Russell, supra, 369 U.S. at 763, 82 S.Ct. 1038 (quoting Smith v. United States, 360 U.S. 1, 9, 79 S.Ct. 991, 3 L.Ed.2d 1041 (1959)). In this case, sloppy prosecutorial draftsmanship has created readily avoidable problems which are quite unrelated to Roberts' guilt or innocence, and the defects in the charging documents have enabled conscientious and resourceful defense counsel to mount plausible appellate challenges to Roberts' convictions. But [a] criminal prosecution is more than a game in which the government may be checkmated and the game lost merely because its officers have not played according to rule. McGuire v. United States, 273 U.S. 95, 99, 47 S.Ct. 259, 71 L.Ed. 556 (1927); see also United States v. Ceccolini, 435 U.S. 268, 279, 98 S.Ct. 1054, 55 L.Ed.2d 268 (1978); Robinson v. United States, 697 A.2d 787, 791-92 (D.C.1997). A more precise indictment and a more accurate bill of particulars would certainly have simplified this case and served the interests of justice. We conclude, however, that these pleading deficiencies do not warrant reversal.