Opinion ID: 187075
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Harmless Error Standard of Review

Text: Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 52(a) states that [a]ny error . . . that does not affect substantial rights must be disregarded. Because the errors in this case involved infringements of constitutional rights, we can ignore the errors as harmless only if it appears beyond a reasonable doubt that the error[s] complained of did not contribute to the verdict obtained. Chapman v. California, 386 U.S. 18, 24, 87 S.Ct. 824, 17 L.Ed.2d 705 (1967); see also Neder v. United States, 527 U.S. 1, 119 S.Ct. 1827, 144 L.Ed.2d 35 (1999) (evaluating trial judge's failure to submit an element of the crime to the jury under the Chapman standard for constitutional error). At all times, the burden of proving that an error was not prejudicial rests on the government. United States v. Smart, 98 F.3d 1379, 1390 (D.C.Cir.1996).