6.12 Effect of defects

Small mistakes in the paperwork that starts a criminal case usually won't ruin the case. If a charging document (like an indictment, citation, or complaint) has a typo, formatting error, or other minor flaw, the case can still move forward. Courts won't throw out charges or stop a trial just because of small technical problems.

The only time a defect matters is when it actually hurts the defendant's ability to get a fair shot at defending themselves. So if a mistake changes the real substance of the case, like leaving out a key fact needed to understand the charge, that could be a real problem. But if the error is just sloppy wording or a small clerical slip that doesn't confuse anyone or hide important information, the case continues normally.

This rule exists so cases aren't dismissed over unimportant technicalities. The focus stays on whether justice is actually being done, not on catching minor paperwork errors.