berger argued decided april attorney general justin miller washington nathan perlman new york city petitioner justice sutherland delivered opinion petitioner indicted federal district charged conspired seven persons named indictment utter counterfeit notes porting issued designated federal reserve banks knowledge counterfeited indictment contained eight additional counts alleging substantive offenses among persons named indictment katz rice jones rice jones convicted jury upon two substantive counts conspiracy count petitioner convicted upon conspiracy count katz pleaded guilty conspiracy count testified government upon arrangement nolle prosequi substantive counts entered necessary refer evidence say tended establish single conspiracy charged two rice katz another berger jones katz connecting link two katz conspiracies counterfeit money evidence berger party conspiracy rice katz trial attorney prosecuted case government guilty misconduct connection witnesses argument jury particulars consider later point opinion conclusion evidence berger moved dismiss indictment conspiracy count ground evidence insufficient support charge motion denied petitioner rice katz jones sentenced terms imprisonment circuit appeals affirming judgment held variance allegations conspiracy count proof prejudicial conduct prosecuting attorney although condemned sufficiently grave affect fairness trial brought case certiorari conflict circuit courts appeals respect effect alleged variance settled great weight authority although indictment charges conspiracy involving several persons proof establishes conspiracy variance material several circuit courts appeals held indictment charges single conspiracy effect proof split conspiracy two variance fatal thus said telman one large conspiracy charged proof different disconnected smaller ones sustain conviction support statement various decisions upon petitioner relies cited view however ignores question materiality qualified make result variance depend upon whether substantially injured defendant present case objection allegations indictment describe conspiracy petitioner convicted effect proof includes proof confined conspiracy variance seen fatal become addition proof conspiracy petitioner connected proof conspiracy connected also furnished made basis verdict others section judicial code amended usca provides hearing appeal certiorari writ error motion new trial case civil criminal shall give judgment examination entire record without regard technical errors defects exceptions affect substantial rights parties true inquiry therefore whether variance proof whether variance substantial rights accused general rule allegations proof must correspond based upon obvious requirements accused shall definitely informed charges may enabled present defense taken surprise evidence offered trial may protected another prosecution offense bennett harrison wills cf hagner evidently congress intended amendment section put end rigid application sometimes made rule error shown prejudice must presumed establish reasonable rule upon examination entire record substantial prejudice appear error must regarded harmless see haywood rich count question charges conspiracy utter false notes one federal reserve bank calling another calling object utterance thus concerted stated proof conspiracies one katz rice purpose uttering false notes buy rings persons advertising sale object katz jones berger pass notes tradesmen suppose indictment charged two conspiracies separate counts identical terms except addition specifically set forth contemplated object passing notes naming berger katz rice jones conspirators count suppose proof established counts connecting berger one failing connect thereupon convicted former acquitted latter plainly enough substantial rights affected situation supposed consideration differ greatly form differ real substance proof respect conspiracy berger connected may regarded incompetent unable find anything fairly stated record reasonably said proof operated prejudice case came surprise certainly fact proof disclosed two conspiracies instead one within words indictment prejudice defense former acquittal one former conviction prosecuted washington georgetown hickey said variance ever regarded material allegation proof substantially correspond variance character misled defendant trial said civil case true applies equally criminal case added requisite variance deprive accused right protected another prosecution offense see meyers mansolilli mean say variance dealt might meterial different case simply hold following view applying section judicial code amended circumstances case variance prejudicial hence fatal prosecuting attorney overstepped bounds propriety fairness characterize conduct officer prosecution criminal offense clearly shown record guilty misstating facts examination witnesses putting mouths witnesses things said suggesting questions statements made personally respect proof offered pretending understand witness said something said persistently witness upon basis assuming prejudicial facts evidence bullying arguing witnesses general conducting thoroughly indecorous improper manner reproduce excerpts record illustrating various points foregoing summary impossible however without reading testimony length thereby obtaining knowledge setting objectionable matter occurred appreciate fully extent misconduct trial judge true sustained objections questions insinuations misstatements instructed jury disregard situation one called stern rebuke repressive measures perhaps successful granting mistrial impossible say evil influence upon jury acts misconduct removed mild judicial action taken prosecuting attorney argument jury undignified intemperate containing improper insinuations assertions calculated mislead jury reading entire argument necessary appreciation objectionable features following illustration witness name goldie goldstein called prosecution identify petitioner apparently difficulty prosecuting attorney course argument said italics added goldie goldstein takes stand says knows jones bet bottom dollar knew berger stood right looked afraid go waved arm everybody started holler point know rules law well complicated game world examining woman knew knew berger identify standing right looking say man imagine rules game play within rules jury thus invited conclude witness goldstein knew berger well pretended otherwise within personal knowledge prosecuting attorney another point argument suggesting defendants counsel advantage able charge district attorney unfair trying twist witness said oh twist questions sit offices devise ways pass counterfeit money let government touch unfair please leave client alone attorney representative ordinary party controversy sovereignty whose obligation govern impartially compelling obligation govern whose interest therefore criminal prosecution shall win case justice shall done peculiar definite sense servant law twofold aim guilt shall escape innocence suffer may prosecute earnestness may strike hard blows liberty strike foul ones much duty refrain improper methods calculated produce wrongful conviction use every legitimate means bring one fair say average jury greater less degree confidence obligations plainly rest upon prosecuting attorney faithfully observed consequently improper suggestions insinuations especially assertions personal knowledge apt carry much weight accused properly carry none said case berger strong careful examination record agree indeed case berger convicted conspiracy substantive offense defendants think may properly characterized depending upon testimony katz accomplice long criminal record circumstances prejudice cause accused highly probable justified assuming nonexistence case berger strong courts said evidence guilt different conclusion might reached compare fitter johnson people malkin state iowa roscum iowa moreover case misconduct prosecuting attorney slight confined single instance one misconduct pronounced persistent probable cumulative effect upon jury disregarded inconsequential new trial must awarded compare central johnson views expressed find support many decisions among following good examples people malkin supra people esposito johnson supra cook commonwealth gale people people wells cal case last cited especially apposite judgment reversed footnotes defendant petitioner stand attorney man pants running around apartment singer godby told told long ask want tell told give man name give works give works godby told going give works singer gentleman got nothing duty wegman going give singer works apparently singer misunderstood made statement witness godby says wait minute going give works singer absolutely gentleman opinion duty thank much asking going give works give anybody things never said right make statement wegman witness said godby said jury heard said interpret testimony asked whether man running around apartment secret service office morning arrested see apartment singer pull gun stick wall apartment time far know far know might idea may say want get part straight apartment night godby apartment include may jurymen counsel singer ask question may answer wegman object question witness serious going stop question includes let answer singer like answer witness singer asked question answer question question repeated reporter say ridiculous berger remember yesterday recessed minutes saw hall remember singer talked hall talked yes say say hall yesterday wait take stand take care say yesterday singer lying lying right say speak hall never speak outside since case started except day office questioned said yesterday singer mean seriously said never happened singer say course made want answer want tell lying effort later made prove statement ever made say going meet anything except business purposes meet told gave home telephone number told call nine evening found anything case help told even wrong squawking morning