Opinion ID: 1849099
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: whether the circuit court erred in allowing the state to amend the indictment by changing the date of the alleged crime from may 23, 1994, to may 21, 1994.

Text: ś 15. On June 24, 1998, five days prior to trial, the State moved the circuit court to amend Conley's indictment, changing the date of the alleged crimes from on or about May 23, 1994 to on or about May 21, 1994. The circuit court found the amendment of the date to be an amendment as to form only and granted it on June 29, 1998, the day of the commencement of the trial. Conley admits that this issue is a close call, but argues that he was prejudiced by this change. ś 16. The question of whether an indictment is fatally defective is an issue of law and enjoys a relatively broad standard of review by this Court. Peterson v. State, 671 So.2d 647, 652 (Miss. 1996). A trial court has no authority to grant substantive amendments to indictments. Baine v. State, 604 So.2d 258, 260 (Miss.1992). However, unless time is an essential element or factor in the crime, an amendment to change the date on which the offense occurred is one of form only. Id. at 261. ś 17. In Griffin v. State, 540 So.2d 17, 21 (Miss.1989), we stated: The test of whether an accused is prejudiced by the amendment of an indictment or information has been said to be whether or not a defense under the indictment or information as it originally stood would be equally available after the amendment is made and whether or not any evidence [the] accused might have would be equally applicable to the indictment or information in the one form as in the other; if the answer is in the affirmative, the amendment is one of form and not of substance. ś 18. Conley's defense for the amended indictment was exactly the same as for the original indictment; therefore, the amendment did not in any manner affect the theory or defense of his case. Conley's sole defense under both indictments was that the death of Whitney Berry was the result of an accident. The amendment to the indictment was merely a change as to form and did not in any way prejudice Conley. Therefore, the circuit court did not err in allowing the State to amend the date of the indictment.