State v. Riddle, 23196

Decision Date16 April 1990
Docket Number23196
Citation391 S.E.2d 253,301 S.C. 211
CourtSouth Carolina Supreme Court
PartiesThe STATE, Respondent v. Bruce Eugene RIDDLE, Appellant.

Asst. Appellate Defenders Stephen P. Williams and Joseph L. Savitz, III, both of S.C. Office of Appellate Defense, Columbia, for appellant.

Atty. Gen. T. Travis Medlock, Asst. Attys. Gen. Harold M. Coombs, Jr., and Norman Mark Rapport, Columbia, and Solicitor William L. Ferguson, York, for respondent.

Heard Oct. 30, 1989.

Decided April 16, 1990.

CHANDLER, Justice:

Amended Opinion Number 23127, 387 S.E. (2d) 455, is

vacated, and the following substituted in its place.

Appellant, Bruce Eugene Riddle (Riddle) contends the Circuit Court erred in permitting an amendment to his indictment during the course of trial. We agree and reverse.

Riddle was indicted for assault with intent to commit third degree criminal sexual conduct. At the close of evidence, the indictment was amended to charge assault with intent to commit first degree criminal sexual conduct. The sole issue we address in whether the amendment was proper.

S.C. Code Ann. § 17-19-100 (1976) permits amendment of an indictment provided the nature of the offense charged is not changed. Here, the amendment increases the lesser charge of assault with intent to commit third degree criminal sexual conduct to the greater charge of assault with intent to commit first degree criminal sexual conduct. Punishment for third agree may not exceed ten years, while first degree is punishable by up to thirty years.

The amendment clearly exceeded the terms of the statute.

Appellant's third issue is dismissed pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 23; State v. Lyle, 125 S.C. 406, 118 S.E. 803 (1923), and his first degree burglary conviction is affirmed.

Accordingly, the judgment above is affirmed in part; reversed in part; and remanded.

GREGORY, C.J., and HARWELL, FINNEY and TOAL, JJ., concur.

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10 cases
  • State v. Ervin
    • United States
    • South Carolina Court of Appeals
    • November 16, 1998
    ...was charged. The South Carolina Supreme Court reversed a conviction based on facts similar to the case sub judice in State v. Riddle, 301 S.C. 211, 391 S.E.2d 253 (1990). The trial court permitted an amendment to Riddle's indictment during the course of his trial. Initially, Riddle was indi......
  • State v. Lynch
    • United States
    • South Carolina Supreme Court
    • April 16, 2001
    ...deprives the circuit court of subject matter jurisdiction. Hopkins v. State, 317 S.C. 7, 451 S.E.2d 389 (1994); State v. Riddle, 301 S.C. 211, 391 S.E.2d 253 (1990). We note, however, that an amendment may deprive the circuit court of jurisdiction even if it does not change the penalty. See......
  • State v. Guthrie
    • United States
    • South Carolina Court of Appeals
    • October 28, 2002
    ...matter jurisdiction. Lynch, 344 S.C. at 639, 545 S.E.2d at 513; Hopkins v. State, 317 S.C. 7, 451 S.E.2d 389 (1994); State v. Riddle, 301 S.C. 211, 391 S.E.2d 253 (1990). However, an amendment may deprive the Circuit Court of jurisdiction even if it does not change the penalty. See Lynch, 3......
  • Granger v. State, 24844.
    • United States
    • South Carolina Supreme Court
    • October 26, 1998
    ...to felony DUI causing death, changed the nature of offense, as punishment was increased from 10 to 25 years. Accord State v. Riddle, 301 S.C. 211, 391 S.E.2d 253 (1990) (amendment to indictment to increase offense from 3rd degree CSC to 1st Degree CSC, and increase potential punishment from......
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