Opinion ID: 532063
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The Renumbering of the Indictment

Text: 47 Casto was originally charged in a five-count indictment. Count Two included a charge brought only against Dodd, one of Casto's co-defendants. Casto moved to have this Count stricken from her indictment, and the government agreed. This left Casto's indictment with four numbered counts, One, Three, Four, and Five. Originally, Count One charged conspiracy, Count Three charged aiding and abetting on February 1, and Count Five charged aiding and abetting on March 22. Original Count Four pertained only to Gutierrez. After Count Two was stricken, the indictment as read by the government at trial and as read by the trial judge in giving jury instructions consisted of Counts One through Four. The verdict returned by the jury found Casto guilty of Counts One, Two, and Four. The trial court sentenced Casto on Counts One, Three, and Five. Casto complains that the trial court sentenced her on the wrong Counts. This contention is without merit. The final order entered by the trial judge clearly states that Casto was sentenced on Count One, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a schedule II controlled substance (Methamphetamine) and on Counts Three and Five, aiding and abetting the distribution of a controlled substance (Methamphetamine). Although the court's sentence altered the numbers used in remarking the Counts during the trial, the content of the counts remained consistent, and there is no evidence in the record that the renumbering of the counts confused either the judge, jury, prosecution, or defense counsel. 48