United States v. Weldon Parkhill and William E. Devine

EDITH HOLLAN JONES, Circuit Judge.

This case sadly illustrates the peril of practicing law in an unfamiliar subject area, for, as one attorney has learned, ignorance of the law does not excuse an offense.

Bankrupt businessman William E. De-vine and his attorney Weldon Parkhill were convicted of fraudulent concealment and transfer of assets from the debtors’ estates in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2 and 152. They seek reversal of their convictions, With regard to three of the counts, they urge that the trial court constructively amended the indictment and abridged their right to a unanimous jury…