Opinion ID: 1770046
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: was the indictment so vague and ambiguous as to the time of the alleged offenses as to prevent the defendant from adequately preparing his defenses?

Text: Morris contends that count three was based on testimony that the incidents occurred on the weekends or when the mother wasn't home during the night. AB could not give exact dates on which the molestation occurred, between March and May of 1986. Morris argues that this 15-year-old, honor roll student should have been able to give at least one definite date on which the acts occurred. He cites Wilson v. State, 515 So.2d 1181 (Miss. 1987), for the proposition that notice of a specific date is essential to the preparation of a defense, especially an alibi defense. Morris contends that the failure to provide specific dates deprived him of the opportunity to present a convincing alibi to the jury. Failure to state the correct date in an indictment does not render the indictment insufficient. Miss.R.Crim.P. 2.05. In ruling on the defendant's motion to Require State to Make the Time of the Offense More Definite, the court stated: In a case such as this, I don't know that a person could or could not state the exact dates. It (the indictment) does give a time frame within which these alleged instances were supposed to have occurred. I think the defendant is fully advised of the nature of the offense with which he is accused. I think what we're talking about here is the kind of situation where the facts of the case are going to have to establish when, if possible, but the date is not the important thing, its whether or not the offense actually took place. So, as far as the motion to make the time of the defense more definite, I am quite sure that the District Attorney would put the time in here if they knew the exact time or the exact date, but I think the indictment is sufficient in advising the defendant, and in giving a time frame within which these are supposed to have happened, and the time will have to appear, if it does, from the testimony. So, the Court will deny the motion to require the State to make the time of the offense more definite, unless the State has additional information. If you do acquire additional information, we would require to furnish that, of course, to the defense. Traditionally, time and place have been viewed as not requiring considerable specificity because they ordinarily do not involve proof of an element of crime. The time allegation can refer to the event as having occurred on or about a certain date and within reasonable limits. Proof of a date before or after that specified will be sufficient provided it is within the statute of limitations. 2 W. LaFave & J. Israel, Criminal Procedure, § 19.2 (1984). The common law, although it required the accusation to mention some date, did not require the prosecution to stick to that date; proof of any date within the period of the statute would suffice to convict. Scott, Fairness in the Accusation of Crime, 41 Minn.L.Rev. 509, 532 (1957). Wilson requires only that the defendant be given the specific date if at all possible. 515 So.2d at 1183. In Wilson defendant was charged with capital rape. The indictment alleged that the rape was committed on or about the 13th day of May 1985. At trial, defendant presented an alibi for May 13, but the state presented evidence that the rape may have occurred on May 13 or 14. The conviction was affirmed; although the Court stated that the specific date was important, it noted that defendant did not raise a credible claim of unfair surprise or prejudice, nor did he seek a continuance or any other remedy. 515 So.2d at 1183. McCullum v. State, 487 So.2d 1335 (Miss. 1986), cited in Wilson, involved a variance between the proof and the date on which the alleged offense was said to have been committed. In finding that there was no error, the court examined Miss. R.Crim.P. 2.05(5) and noted that the rule directs our employment of common sense. There appears little doubt that McCullum was fairly and fully advised of the charge against her. 487 So.2d at 1338. In this case, the victim's testimony amply illustrates the fact that the State could not narrow the time frame any more than it did. Defendant was fully and fairly advised of the charge against him. This assignment of error is without merit.