Opinion ID: 720571
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: omissions from the record

Text: 40 Aubin contends that several documents presented to the district court during trial were missing from the record on appeal. It appears that all of these documents have been the subject of motions to supplement, and now are a part of the record on appeal. 41 Aubin also complains that nine bench conferences conducted during the trial were not transcribed and are not part of the record on appeal. Defendant apparently has not made any attempt to determine the substance of those bench conferences and has only speculated as to their substance. 42 Where, as here, a defendant is represented on appeal by counsel other than the attorney at trial, the absence of a substantial and significant portion of the record, even absent any showing of specific prejudice or error, is sufficient to mandate reversal. United States v. Neal, 27 F.3d 1035, 1044 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 115 S.Ct. 530, 130 L.Ed.2d 433 (1994). This does not mean that every failure to record, no matter how small or insignificant, will work a reversal. United States v. Selva, 559 F.2d 1303, 1306 n. 5 (5th Cir.1977). The trial of this case lasted approximately a month, and the transcript is approximately 3,000 pages. The mere failure to transcribe 9 bench conferences does not necessarily establish the absence of a substantial and significant portion of the record. Since Aubin has not made any showing regarding the possible substance of these bench conferences, we will not find them to constitute a substantial and significant portion of the record.