Court Opinion

ID: 9475737
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 05:36:50.308043+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:44:54.168040
License: Public Domain

MERRITT, Circuit Judge,
concurring.
I concur in Judge Keith’s opinion for the Court. In light of the jury verdict of guilty, the “on or about” instruction could only have been considered by the jury as a factor in its decision if the jury believed the *343defendant’s alibi. Contrary to the implicit suggestion in Judge Ryan’s dissenting opinion, there is no basis to think that the jury believed the defendant’s alibi but convicted the defendant anyway because the jury believed the crime was committed on a date other than August 14. The alibi evidence was extremely weak and the evidence of the defendant’s guilt strong.
The only plausible explanation for the jury verdict, in light of the proof, is that the jury disbelieved the alibi. Therefore, under Rule 52(b) the “irregularity” in the trial court’s charge must be “disregarded” because it did not “affect substantial rights.” There is no point in ordering a new trial in this case because the trial judge said “on or about” rather than “on.” The dissent engages in hypertechnical and formalistic reasoning.