State v. Rankin

BEASLEY, Justice.

**885In this case we consider whether the Court of Appeals erred in vacating defendant's conviction under N.C.G.S. § 14-399(a) for felony littering upon concluding that the indictment failed to allege an essential element of the statutory crime and was fatally defective, thus depriving the trial court of jurisdiction over the accused. Because we conclude that the indictment was facially invalid, we affirm the decision of the Court of Appeals.

**886On 27 April 2014, defendant Angela Rankin located a large metal tank containing fuel oil near a residential driveway on North Elam…