Opinion ID: 1898079
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 14

Heading: Court's Correction of the Form of the Indictment

Text: The first count of the indictment charged that defendant did by his own conduct, purposely and knowingly cause the death or serious bodily injury resulting in death of ARLENE CONNORS; contrary to the provisions of N.J.S. 2C:11-3a(1) and (2)   . (emphasis added). Under the statute, however, criminal homicide constitutes murder when the actor purposely, N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3a(1), or knowingly causes death or serious bodily injury resulting in death, N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3a(2) (emphasis added). At the charge conference, defense counsel urged that the State was obliged to prove that the homicide was both knowing and purposeful. The court observed that the mistake in the indictment was simply the result of inartful pleading. Consequently, it charged the jury that [t]he State can meet its burden in this case if it shows to your satisfaction that Mr. Pennington acted purposely or knowingly. It doesn't have to show both. (emphasis added). In so charging, the court was clearly correct. As the court concluded, under N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3a(1) and -3a(2), the only offenses constituting murder are homicides that are either purposeful or knowing, but not both. Defendant now contends that the charge constituted a substantive amendment to the indictment in violation of his right to indictment under article I, paragraph 8 of the New Jersey Constitution. We disagree. The amendment was one of form. R. 3:7-4. Nor did the amendment prejudice defendant. His trial strategy was that the shooting was neither knowing nor purposeful, but accidental. That strategy would have been the same even if the indictment had been stated in the disjunctive, rather than the conjunctive. On remand, defendant is on notice that the homicide constitutes murder when it is either purposeful or knowing.