1. Does the "depraved heart" theory of federal second-degree murder require a causal connection between the defendant's "depraved" conduct and the victim's death?

2. Some sentencing judges routinely assert that they would have selected the exact same sentence regardless of any error in applying the Sentencing Guidelines. Should an appellate court rely on those routine assertions when deciding whether an error is harmless?

Does the 'depraved heart' theory of federal second-degree murder require a causal connection between the defendant's 'depraved' conduct and the victim's death?