Opinion ID: 1709596
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Court erred in denying Hodgin's motion to quash the indictment.

Text: ¶ 16. Hodgin asserts that the indictment is defective because it fails to provide the specific dates that the offenses occurred. The indictment states that the offenses occurred on or before November 24, 2002. ¶ 17. The question of whether an indictment is defective is an issue of law and is reviewed de novo by this Court. Failure to provide the correct date in an indictment does not render the indictment insufficient. Morris v. State, 595 So.2d 840, 842 (Miss.1991) (citing Miss. R.Crim. P. 2.05). The prosecution is required only to provide the defendant with the specific date of the act if at all possible. Wilson v. State, 515 So.2d 1181, 1183 (Miss.1987). In this case, as in Morris, the State narrowed the time frame as much as possible. ¶ 18. An indictment must contain (1) the essential elements of the offense charged, (2) sufficient facts to fairly inform the defendant of the charge against which he must defend, and (3) sufficient facts to enable him to plead double jeopardy in the event of a future prosecution for the same offense. See Hamling v. U.S., 418 U.S. 87, 117, 94 S.Ct. 2887, 2907, 41 L.Ed.2d 590 (1974). See also Love v. State, 211 Miss. 606, 52 So.2d 470 (1951). An indictment must inform a defendant of the nature and cause of the charges brought against him. Miss. Const. Ann. art. 3 § 26. Hodgin was put on notice of the nature and cause of the charges against him. Further, the victim's testimony narrowed the time frame even more. ¶ 19. Accordingly, we find that this issue is without merit.