Court Opinion

ID: 9626650
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 08:20:31.44549+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:07:41.375615
License: Public Domain

Durham, J.
(dissenting) — I disagree with the majority for two reasons. First, in the context of these cases, the terms "unlawfully" and "knowledge" have precisely the same effect. The only way the defendants could have acted unlawfully was to have knowledge of the substance they were delivering. Addition of the term "knowledge" under these facts adds absolutely nothing to the information. The majority requires a useless act.
Moreover, and as the majority concedes, the defendants suffered no prejudice. As evidenced by their respective pretrial motions, they were well aware of the crime with which they were charged, as well as the elements of that crime. In overturning these convictions, despite actual notice of the crime, the majority proceeds far beyond constitutional notice requirements and relies upon a purely technical error. I fear that the majority's irritation with the State for failing to amend the information may be motivating a less than compelling analysis. Therefore, I would affirm the convictions.