State v. Sossamon

Whether defendant's motion in arrest of judgment should have been allowed depends upon whether the amended warrant is fatally defective. This must be determined by application of the well settled legal principles stated below.

“A valid warrant or indictment is an essential of jurisdiction.” S. v. Morgan, 226 N.C. 414, 38 S.E. 2d 166; S. v. Thornton, 251 N.C. 658, 660, 111 S.E. 2d 901. A warrant or indictment must charge all the essential elements of the alleged criminal offense. S. v. Morgan, supra. The reasons underlying this requirement are summarized by Parker, J., in S. v. Greer, 238 N.C.…