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Richardson: Single Conspiracy, not multiple

By Tim Cone

In U.S. v. Richardson, No. 06-12610 (July 3, 2008), the Court rejected the defendant?s contention that his various illegal agreements with several drug coconspirators constituted not one but multiple conspiracies.Richardson claimed that the evidence showed unconnected drug conspiracies, not the single conspiracy charged in the indictment.The Court rejected the argument that a variance occurred, finding that the jury reasonably could have found the existence of an underlying scheme to buy cocaine for relatively low prices in Miami and sell it for relatively high prices in Atlanta, thereby turning a profit.Further, even if the jury could not have so concluded, the variance would not have engendered substantial prejudice, and thus would not require reversal...continue to full post

Full post as published by Defense Newsletter Blog on July 09, 2008 (boomark / email).