§ 135.743 Fictitious or erroneous name; insertion of true name

If someone gets charged with a crime under the wrong name or a fake name, the court doesn't have to start the case over once it learns the person's real name. The court can simply add the correct name to the case going forward. The paperwork will just note that the person was originally charged under the other name.

This rule exists so that small mistakes about a name don't mess up a criminal case. For example, if someone gave a fake name when they were arrested, or if there was a clerical error, the case can keep moving forward once the truth comes out. The person's real identity gets fixed in the court record, but everything that happened earlier in the case still counts.

This matters because it stops defendants from trying to get a case thrown out just because their name was wrong at first. It also protects the process, since prosecutors and courts don't have to refile charges from scratch every time a name issue pops up.