Court Opinion

ID: 9883345
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-10-06 01:40:37.287281+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:48:22.676502
License: Public Domain

Justice MOORE,
(concurring in part and dissenting in part):
I respectfully dissent from the portion of the majority’s opinion that reverses appellant’s conviction for PWID within the proximity of a school.
Amending the indictment for PWID within proximity of a school to list a school rather than a church did not change the nature of the offense charged. State v. Lynch, 344 S.C. 635, 545 S.E.2d 511 (2001) (indictment may be amended provided such amendment does not change nature of offense charged). Prior to and after the amendment, appellant was charged with violating S.C.Code Ann. § 44-53-445 (2002), the statute prohibiting the possession of drugs with the intent to distribute within the proximity of a school. The possible punishment appellant faced did not change, nor did the amendment alter the charge in any fashion other than to correct a scrivener’s error naming a church instead of a school. See, e.g., State v. Batson, 261 S.C. 128, 198 S.E.2d 517 (1973) (amendment of indictment to insert name of agent to whom defendant allegedly sold LSD did not change nature of offense charged and was permissible); State v. Jones, 211 S.C. 319, 45 S.E.2d 29 (1947) (amendment correcting misnomer as to name of victim in indictment charging assault with intent to kill was not error where defendant was not misled and nature or grade of offense was not changed).
Accordingly, because the amended indictment contained the necessary elements of the offense, did not change the nature *161of the offense charged, and sufficiently apprised appellant of what he must be prepared to meet,3 the trial court had subject matter jurisdiction over the offense of PWID marijuana within proximity of a school. See Brown v. State, 343 S.C. 342, 540 S.E.2d 846 (2001).
I concur with section II of the majority opinion, which affirms the trial court’s ruling regarding the admission of crack cocaine evidence.
Accordingly, I would affirm appellant’s convictions for PWID marijuana and PWID marijuana within proximity of a school.
BURNETT, J., concurs.

. While arguing against the amendment, counsel for appellant admitted appellant was clearly on notice from the indictment that the State proposed to try appellant under the PWID within proximity of a school statute.