Opinion ID: 657348
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Inconsistency in the Verdict

Text: 11 Walker argues the jury's verdict should be set aside because it is inconsistent. According to Walker, the eighteen counts of mail fraud differ only as to the date of the offense. He contends that the evidence offered and mens rea required for each count were the same, and that the government based its case on the theory that Walker engaged in an overall scheme to defraud credit card issuers. Walker claims that it was, therefore, illogical for the jury to acquit him on one count of mail fraud and to convict on the others. According to Walker, this result entitles him to a new trial. 12 Walker failed to raise this issue below. Consequently, he has waived any objection based on the purported inconsistency in the verdict. United States v. Angulo, 864 F.2d 504, 507 (7th Cir.1988). Furthermore, the trial judge committed no plain error by failing sua sponte to order a new trial. See Fed.R.Crim.P. 52(b). 13 Even if he had presented this argument to the district court, Walker ignores the well settled rule that an irreconcilable jury verdict does not warrant reversal of a criminal conviction. United States v. Powell, 469 U.S. 57, 69, 105 S.Ct. 471, 479, 83 L.Ed.2d 461 (1984); United States v. Scop, 940 F.2d 1004, 1007 (7th Cir.1991). Consistency in verdicts is not necessary because each count in an indictment is to be treated as a separate indictment. Id. 469 U.S. at 62, 105 S.Ct. at 475 (quoting Dunn v. United States, 284 U.S. 390, 393, 52 S.Ct. 189, 190, 76 L.Ed. 356 (1932)). In Powell, the Supreme Court also reasoned that there is no way to determine whether the government or the defendant has been prejudiced when a jury returns inconsistent verdicts. Id. 469 U.S. at 69, 105 S.Ct. at 476. Although it is possible that the government received a windfall, it is equally possible that the jury, [though] convinced of guilt, ... through mistake, compromise or lenity, arrived at an inconsistent conclusion. Id. The Court further noted that defendants are protected against jury irrationality in that they can challenge the sufficiency of the evidence to support the conviction. Id. at 67, 105 S.Ct. at 477. 14 Finally, the count on which Walker was acquitted differs from the other counts as to the name used in the application. This difference alone can explain any alleged inconsistency in the jury's verdict. 15 Based on the foregoing analysis, we decline to set aside Walker's conviction on the ground that it was compromised by inconsistent verdicts.