kotteakos argued february decided june henry singer brooklyn petitioners marvin smith washington respondent justice rutledge delivered opinion question whether petitioners suffered substantial prejudice convicted single general conspiracy evidence government admits proved one conspiracy eight different ones sort executed common key figure simon brown petitioners convicted general conspiracy section criminal code conspiring violate provisions national housing act judgments affirmed circuit appeals granted certiorari importance question administration criminal justice federal courts indictment named defendants including petitioners gist conspiracy alleged defendants sought induce various financial institutions grant credit intent loans advances offered federal housing administration insurance upon applications containing false fraudulent information persons named indictment nineteen brought names thirteen submitted jury two acquitted jury disagreed four remaining seven including petitioners found guilty government evidence may summarized briefly petitioners contended insufficient considered apart alleged errors relating proof instructions trial simon brown pleaded guilty common key figure transactions proven president brownie lumber company experience obtaining loans national housing act undertook act broker placing oh ers loans modernization renovation charging five per cent commission services brown knew obtained loans proceeds used purposes stated applications may petitioner lekacos told brown wished secure loan order finance opening law office say least hardly auspicious professional launching brown made application directed lekacos state purpose loan modernize house belonging estate lekacos father lekacos obtained money later year lekacos secured another loan brown application names brother lekacos also received part proceeds loan one gerakeris defendant pleaded guilty applied june lekacos sent brown application loan signed petitioner kotteakos contained false statements brown placed loan kotteakos thereafter sent brown applications behalf persons two made names fictitious persons proceeds received kotteakos petitioner regenbogen partner cigarette pinball machine business regenbogen together kotteakos indorsed one applications kotteakos also sent brown application loan regenbogen name modernization property owned regenbogen latter however repaid money three months received evidence defendants whose cases submitted jury similar character transacted business brown relating national housing act loans connection shown petitioners brown instrument instance obtaining loans many cases defendants relationship one another brown connection transaction circuit appeals said least eight perhaps separate independent groups none connection though dealt independently brown agent page government puts pattern separate spokes meeting common center though may add without rim wheel enclose spokes proof therefore admittedly made case single conspiracy several notwithstanding one charged indictment cf falcone peoni tinsley appeals aptly drew analogy comment dispose loot single single fact alone become confederates may takes knowledge make page stated trial judge plainly wrong supposing upon evidence single conspiracy view took law dismissed indictment page nevertheless appellate held error prejudicial saying among things since guilt manifest join conspiracies reverse conviction miscarriage justice indeed government entire position contend variance proof single conspiracy charged indictment admitting separate distinct conspiracies shown urges variance prejudicial petitioners berger held circumstances presented variance fatal one conspiracy charged two proved relating contemporaneous transactions involving counterfeit money one conspiracies two participants three one defendant katz common true inquiry said whether variance proof whether variance substantial rights accused page page held variance resting ruling become known harmless error statute judicial code amended controlling case 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 applying section likened situation one four persons implicated two conspiracies charged conspirators separate counts failure proof connect one berger one conspiracies resulting conviction one count acquittal event said enough substantial rights affected situation supposed one actually presented opinion stated though differing greatly form different substance proof relating conspiracy berger connected regarded incompetent nothing facts concluded reasonably said show prejudice surprise resulted went say fact proof disclosed two conspiracies instead one within words indictment prejudice defense former acquittal one former conviction prosecuted page page question determine whether ruling may extended situation one conspiracy charged least eight separate though similar objects made evidence believed numerous participants different schemes whole except one different persons know anything one another salutary policy embodied adopted congress act february stat long agitation distinguished professional thorough consideration various proposals designed enact policy successive congresses sixtieth necessary review detail history abuses led agitation progress legislation various sessions final enactment without debate cong rec anyone familiar knows similar state grew widespread deep conviction general course appellate review american crii nal causes shortly one trial judge put become law courts review trials criminal cases impregnable citadels technicality great threat reversal many jurisdictions criminal trial became game sowing reversible error record repeated matching wits new trial thus obtained broad attack system great legal names mobilized among taft wigmore pound hadley mention four general object simple substitute judgment automatic application rules preserve review check upon arbitrary action essential unfairness trials time make process perform function without giving men fairly convicted multiplicity loopholes highly rigid minutely detailed scheme errors especially relation procedure engender reflect printed record task big various detail particularized treatment cf bruno effort revision therefore took form essentially simple command comes face plain admonition technical technicality really hurt party whose rights trial outcome technicality affects also important note purpose bill final form stated authoritatively cast upon party seeking new trial burden showing technical errors may complain affected substantial rights otherwise disregarded burden extend errors appears statement follows immediately proposed legislation affects technical errors error character natural effect prejudice litigant substantial rights burden sustaining verdict notwithstanding legislation rest upon one claims ibid bruno supra page page weiler easier command make always observe part general part also discrimination requires one judgment transcending confinement formula precise rule oil faculty ever wholly imprisoned words much less upon criterion technical substantial rights really affects latter hurtfully judgment play impression conviction along intelligence varies judges also circumstance may technical one substantial another minor unimportant one setting crucial another moreover lawyers know others may seem technical may embody great tradition justice weiler supra necessity drawing lines somewhere great areas law words one always segregate technique substance form reality course highly technical confer full legal status upon one attained majority deny another day week month younger yet narrow line many others like must drawn rule often grossly artificial different context may essence justice keeping gossip rumor unfounded report hand stories hardly needs said must comprehended administered every day task simple although admonition neither impossible nature standard perfection attained one fair approximation achieved essentially matter one experience work lines must drawn positive negative fields law precise border may indistinct case case determination particular points adds time discernible direction final analysis judgment case must influenced conviction resulting examination proceedings entirety tempered governed rigid sense stare decisis done similar situations cf oil co supra page pages necessarily character proceeding stake upon outcome relation error asserted casting balance decision case whole material factors judgment statute terms makes distinction civil criminal causes mean criteria shall always applied regardless difference indeed legislative history shows proposed legislation went many revisions largely instance fear easy relaxation historic securities thrown around citizen charged crime although final form legislation designed frequently avoid absurdities skilful manipulation procedural rules enabled guilty escape punishment make irrelevant fact person trial life liberty require judgment case one involving question civil liability purpose instance abolish historic difference civil criminal causes relating tot burden proof placed one upon plaintiff prosecution mean error receiving excluding evidence identical effects purposes applying policy regardless whether evidence respects evenly balanced errors sort criminal causes conceivably may altogether harmless face clear evidence although error might turn scales otherwise level constantly appears application policy questions admission cumulative evidence errors instructions jury cf oil supra pages pages aids right judgment may stated safely negative affirmative form thus appellate function determine guilt innocence weiler supra page page bollenbach speculate upon probable reconviction decide according speculation comes appellate judges escape impressions may make sole criteria reversal affirmance judgments exclusively jury given always necessary minimum evidence legally sufficient sustain viction unaffected error weiler supra bollenbach supra mean appellate escape altogether taking account outcome weigh error effect entire setting record without relation verdict judgment almost work vacuum cf oil supra pages pages criminal causes outcome conviction different may guilt fact guilt law established judgment laymen question right judgment regardless error effect upon verdict rather effect error reasonably may taken upon jury decision crucial thing impact thing done wrong minds men one total setting cf oil supra pages pages bollenbach supra must take account error meant singled standing alone relation else happened one must judge others reactions allowance others might react regare generally acting without reason important difference one easy ignore sense guilt comes strongly record said done conviction sure error influence jury slight effect verdict judgment stand except perhaps departure constitutional specific command congress bruno supra page page one say fair assurance pondering happened without stripping erroneous action whole judgment substantially swayed error impossible conclude substantial rights affected inquiry merely whether enough support result apart phase affected error rather even whether error substantial influence one left grave doubt conviction stand discussion undertaken formulate problem terms presumptions view statement quoted house committee report seem attempt create generalized presumption apply cases contrary spirit also expressed intent legislative sponsors indeed according explicit statement whether burden establishing error affected substantial rights conversely burden sustaining verdict shall imposed turns whether error natural effect prejudice litigant substantial rights indeed statement entire accord letter spirit injunction attempting generalize broadly presumption otherwise permissible presumption seem particular arising nature error natural effect prejudice particular setting follows berger case controlling one notwithstanding abstractly considered errors variance identical character berger opinion indeed expressly declared mean say variance dealt might material different case simply hold following view applying section judicial code amended circumstances case variance prejudicial hence fatal page page face things one thing hold harmless admission evidence took placei berger case two conspiracies involving four persons told proved entirely different thing apply rule one conspiracy charged eight separate ones proved involving outset defendants essential difference overcome fact reduced severance dismissal pleas guilty nineteen trial began thirteen time cases went jury sheer difference numbers defendants conspiracies proven distinguishes situation obviously burden defense defendant connected one many distinct transactions vastly different preparation trial also looking securing safeguard evidence affecting defendants prevent transference error psychological effect spite instructions keeping separate transactions separate government theory seems ultimate logical reach error presented variance insubstantial harmless evidence offered specifically properly convict defendant sufficient sustain conviction submitted separate trial reasons stated view authorities cited test apparent support view government argues prejudice results show jury exercised discrimination among defendants whose cases submitted points jury acquitted disagreed others found still others guilty concludes jury confused apparently reached result reached likely convicted defendants tried separately one difficulty trial confused charge gave guide jury deliberation instructed indictment charges one conspiracy convict defendants conspiracy government prove find defendants member conspiracy divide one conspiracy question whether defendants defendants members conspiracy face appeals said portion charge plainly wrong application proof made error pervaded entire charge merely portion quoted jury possibly found upon evidence one conspiracy trial view one conspiracy made showing defendant linked brown one transactions possible evidence jury conclude common adventure fact similarity purpose presented various applications loans view specifically embodied throughout instructions obviously confuses common purpose single enterprise several though similar purposes numerous separate adventures like character may notwithstanding misdirection jury actually understood correctly purport evidence government concedes came conclusion petitioners guilty separate conspiracies proof shows respectively participated face misdirection circumstances case assume lay triers fact well informed upon law disregarded permission expressly given ignore vital difference bollenbach supra said error permeated entire charge indeed entire trial permit jury find defendant guilty conspiring potential less number proof might turn acquittal none evidence support conviction proof turn fact effects one prevent giving precautionary instruction appropriate perhaps required cases related separate conspiracies tried together code namely jury take care consider evidence relating conspiracy separately relating conspiracy charged careful caution jury consider defendant case separately determining participation scheme charged obviously go keeping distinct conspiracies distinct view conception case moreover effect misconception extended also proof overt acts carrying forward premise jury find one conspiracy evidence trial judge charged jury found conspiracy acts statements find conspirators two dates mentioned may considered evidence defendants find members conspiracy emphasis added instructions phase also declared necessary matter law overt act charged defendant sufficient conspiracy established defendant found member suffc ient allege overt acts part others may members conspiracy acts done furtherance purpose accomplishing conspiracy instructions competent jury find defendants parties single common plan design scheme none shown proof also impute defendant acts statements others without reference whether related one schemes proven another find overt act affecting conduct admittedly affected true appeals painstakingly examined evidence directly relating petitioner concluded prejudiced manner judgment founded largely fact clearly shown shared fraudulent phase conspiracy participated even understand concluded face instruction jury considered influenced nothing else government seeks justify harmless error basis proof sufficient establish participation petitioner one several smaller conspiracies none prejudiced found guilty upon proof members single larger conspiracy general character charge phases application facts regarded misnomer considered prejudicial stress also placed upon fact kind evidence show petitioners conspiracy evidence performed acts direct participation conspiracy finding conspiracy jury point must credited evidence completely established guilt said also berger case sustains agree true said taken abstraction particular facts cases alike respects indictment charged single conspiracy proof showed one instructions told jury erroneously evidence find defendants guilty single confederation must find defendant joined order convict must consider evidence separately phase satisfied concerning attribute one found member act done furtherance scheme overt act obvious error neither case course precaution keep separate conspiracies separate also true abstractly taken indictment might considered one berger literally cover conspiracies proved taken obviously much greater stretch imagination needed regard indictment charging six people conspiring together meaning three four even five needed say one charging four agreeing terms covered oft wo agreements three four one conspirator different proved offense even needed look upon former charging eight conspiracies upon latter indicting two abstract similarities abstract strip separate distinct total contexts two cases disregard vast difference contexts violate whole spirit think letter also numbers vitally important trial especially criminal matters guilt us remains individual personal even respects conspiracies matter mass application times necessity nature scope particular federation large numbers persons taking part must tried together perhaps rate respects many conspire invite mass trial conduct even proceedings exceptional tradition call use every safeguard individualize defendant relation mass wholly different join together though many others may though may line one group criminal may criminality mass conspiracy invite mass trial conduct system tolerate way lies drift toward totalitarian institutions true may inconvenient prosecution government one mere convenience efficiency stake every citizen afforded historic individual protections including surrounding criminal trials dare become careless complacent fashion become rampant earth toleration went far think either congress enacted deciding berger case intended authorize government string together common trial eight separate distinct crimes conspiracies related kind though might nexus among lies fact one man participated leeway must cases berger situation others proof may accord exact specifications indictments otherwise criminal spirators never brought halt practice followed stand see nothing prevent extension dozen score conspiracies time scores men involved separately dangers transference guilt one another across line separating conspiracies subconsciously otherwise great one really say prejudice substantial right taken place section purpose go far line must drawn somewhere whether berger marks limit sort error case clear must lie somewhere case one ruling unmindful appeals held problem merely one variance indictmenta nd proof right application policy freedom judgment also essentially one proper joinder criminal code look section requirement separate statement different counts related distinct transactions class crimes offenses may properly joined instead several indictments conclusion reinforced section relaxation rules strict regularity added relaxation criminal causes technical advantage accused deriving detailed specification offense indictment also separate statement distinct offenses seem lost may carried far potentially rate carries threat overriding requirement substituting separate counts place separate indictments unless application made restraint two sections must construed applied bring substantial harmony square conflict need inquire whether sixth amendment requirement criminal prosecutions accused shall enjoy right informed nature cause accusation observed generous application situation governed also made berger ruling need express opinion whether reversal required cases indictment defective dismissed fault appeals said indictment case taken trial conception regard also fact appeals painstakingly examined evidence relating directly petitioners found convincing point making guilt manifest find substantial harm unfairness error particular phase trial concluded reversal miscarriage justice deference disagree conclusion ruling permeating error affect substantial rights parties right instance right tried en masse conglomeration distinct separate offenses committed others shown record may appeals found evidence concerning petitioner clear conviction dictated reversal forbidden presented separate trials offense one substantially similar berger trial number conspiracies conspirators involved whether neither problem appeals case conviction might probably resulted properly conducted trial criterion think highly probable error substantial injurious effect influence determining jury verdict rested decision particularly fact offense charged proved conspiracies offense perhaps greatly different others scheme charged tight number involved small broadened include varying degrees attachment confederation possibilities miscarriage justice particular individuals become greater greater cf gebardi citing report attorney general setting recommendations conference senior circuit judges respect conspiracy prosecutions outskirts perhaps higher form criminal trial system affords greater looe ness generally allowed specifying offense details receiving proof generally conduct trial becomes magnified numbers involved increase anywhere cf bollenbach supra extraordinary precaution required instructions shall mislead shall scrupulously safeguard defendant individually far possible loss identity mass indeed instructions often become cases principal protection unwarranted imputation guilt others conduct also special importance plain error readily taken harmless accordingly judgments reversed causes remanded proceedings conformity opinion reversed justice black concurs result justice jackson took part consideration decision cases justice douglas justice reed agrees dissenting clear error charge examination record berger shows erroneous instructions fact given case think error injured page page defendants case berger case whether injury results joinder several conspiracies depends special circumstances case situations easily imagined confusion part jury likely reason sheer number conspirators complexities facts spell series conspiracies evidence relating one defendant may used convict another possibilities seem nothing testimony defendants even remotely implicated petitioners frauds nothing evidence connected petitioners defendants except brown slightest way record implication guilt reason mass trial found dangers petitioners conjure abstract ones moreover true picture case defendants engaging eight different conspiracies lumped together one jury convicted four persons addition petitioners defendants evidence concerning effect eliminated case case two closely related conspiracies involving petitioners two additional conspiracies petitioners played character revolving around central figure brown look actually transpired jury rather indictment charged case approaching simplicity berger case strong irresistible inference jury confused bolstered failure convict six thirteen defendants trial said plain error charge conspiracy agree judge learned hand speaking said page remains question error directing jury must find one conspiracy aq uit course error said favored accused suppose appellants suffered say judge told jury convict three conspiring brown alone might acquitted one spite fact convicted conspiracy brown applicants incredible indeed nonsense brown liason appellants applicants jury rationally drawn appellants net others unless believed appellants brown conspired together rest surplusage may disregarded trial judge improperly charge jury one conspiracy also overt acts one conspirator binding consider question abstract hold reversible error charge made clear jury impute acts one conspirator another required find particular defendant first joined conspiracy evidence shows petitioners acting brown made fraudulent application loan jury found petitioners entered conspiracy brown made complete determination guilt petitioner error parts charge therefore reach essential factors guilt innocence must determined situation different membership conspiracy shown slight evidence knowledge association acts others need imputed defendant order establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt agree reversible error established record left lingering doubt score view clear proof implicating petitioners simplicity transactions fact jury must credited evidence completely established guilt order find petitioners joined conspiracy believe erroneous charge prejudicial course possibilities prejudice stated berger case supra page page 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 surprise shown overt acts charged indictment petitioners implicating conspiracy participated overt acts charged established evidence seem evident face indictment petitioners know must prepared defend proof conspired least one defendants difficult see petitioners misled single conspiracy charged defendants shown connected clear petitioners adequately protected second prosecution indictment evidence available disclose proof convictions rested parole evidence likewise available show subject matter former conviction bartell several conspiracies joined separate counts one indictment plainly transactions class crimes offenses within meaning objection joined lup ed together one conspiracy purely formal circuit appeals said appears prejudice footnotes four persons alleged conspirators made defendants also alleged part conspiracy defendants solicit persons desiring make loans conformity rules regulations prescribed national housing administrator limited making loans modernizing altering existing structures amounts exceed represent persons money obtained false fraudulent applications used purposes within contemplation title national housing act defendants procure various documents credit statements certificates falsely stating work contracted completed material delivered basis documents presented various financial institutions federal housing administration obtain loans proceeds used purposes housing renovation modernization four severance granted indictment one eight others pleaded guilty one pleaded guilty trial indictment another severance ordered third verdicts acquittal directed three others application stated house loan sought bought rather purchase price rather assessed valuation rather application stated among repairs contemplated repainting house whereas fact basement hallway garage repainted carefully examined evidence relating petitioners considered guilt turned upon intent making misrepresentations applications loan jury thought must believed brown testified misrepresentations deliberate opinion stated possibility far brown story transactions applicants conspiracy petitioners confirmed jury might disposed find credible story dealings petitioners held circumstances case possibility warrant reversal since whenever two crimes tried together possibility confusion exists testimony relevant one crime may gain credibility testimony relevant congress insisted upon absolute separation provides several charges person act transaction two acts transactions connected together two acts transactions class crimes offenses may properly joined instead several indictments whole may joined one indictment separate counts two indictments found cases may order consolidated appeals case liss cir see also cohen rosenberg treated problem variance speaking rather one joinder facts succinctly stated 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 page page complete statement facts see opinion circuit appeals case berger opinion said materiality variance depend upon degree logical perversity upon far throws confusion trial makes likely miscarry page applied another connection reverse conviction namely misconduct prosecuting attorney examination witnesses addressing jury explicitly considered applied connection following criminal cases horning district columbia sinclair contempt aldridge dissenting opinion berger bruno oil weiler bollenbach federal rules civil procedure following section rule federal rules criminal procedure effective march rule contain error sections respect latter said rule restatement existing law citation notes rules criminal procedure district courts prepared direction advisory committee rules criminal procedure see also preliminary draft federal rules criminal procedure second preliminary draft federal rules criminal procedure see pound causes popular dissatisfaction administration justice pt id id id id id id id id id see hearings committee judiciary american bar association bills sess sess sess sess sess sess sess sess eighteen adopted statutes similar sunderland problem appellate review see also list statutes official draft american law institute code criminal procedure kavanagh improvement administration criminal justice exercise judicial power see hadley criminal justice america hadley outline code criminal procedure taft administration criminal law present day problems collection addresses cf hicks william howard taft wigmore criminal reversals reversals wigmore evidence perhaps notable instance hypertechnicality assignment reason decision arising early part period agitation found state campbell mo see also state warner mo ruling reversed state adkins mo see materials cited notes one time senate judiciary committee recommended error bill confined solely civil cases sess see another time committee reported bill considerably weaker passed house representatives see see also cf horning district columbia sneierson see authorities cited antonelli fireworks dissenting opinion notes see also lucks goldsmith beach course presents question law error relates minimum eliminated proof sufficient necessarily prejudice substantial cf tot thus forced confessions received reversals followed although evidence guilt might taken clear see malinski new york lyons oklahoma bram mitchell dissenting opinion page cf antonelli fireworks majority dissenting opinions although noted berger opinion instructions case substantially identical charge given quoted effect single conspiracy charged therefore proved said one may control large amount counterfeit money may agreement money shall distributed one may go forth enlist services others furtherance common plan must furtherance common plan ca three four different plans must one plan must bear part emphasis added charge stated part government contends offered evidence show simon brown pivot around whole conspiracy revolved shown satisfaction advance another step relation several defendants defendants michael lekacos louis levine gus kotteakos max posner james secular nathan regenbogen bring applicants applications defendants brown men acquainted obtained loans obtained loans somebody else question evidence certainly admitted heard explained true men getting people come brown say whether find streams running brown streams led common director carrying craft destined place question least one applications given somebody think one given brown remember reference others come brown agency introduction act solicitation applications men mentioned important important allegation conspiracy must common purpose shown common purpose intended accomplished conspiracy things violate law perpetrate fraud government participated defendants bring others others brown question emphasis added see note addition persons indicted four named indictment see note see note also text note see liss dissenting opinion pages cf telman similar instruction given berger case say conspiracy existed actions statements declarations conspirators bind others conspiracy time arrest conspiracy ended statements acts anyone conspirator prior termination conspiracy arrest bound others bound though done said alleged certain overt acts government must prove least one order vitalize conspiracy see note supra ibid common approved practice charging conspiracy name may reached process anticipated proof connect scheme although instances whether turn defendant problematical failure substantiate charge one change identity crime charged require reindictment retrial others law conspiracy dead letter accepted practice comprehend justify attempted comes difference degree still one vital importance differences always come degrees spread farther farther apart see authorities cited note trial severance granted motion prosecutor four defendants indictment nolprossed one eight pleaded guilty trial nineteen brought trial one pleaded guilty trial nolle prosequi entered another case severed another became ill trial verdicts acquittal directed three thirteen whose cases submitted jury two acquitted jury disagreed four remaining seven including petitioners convicted