WPC # UN % 0(!Iw@Q4U: 0J 0T8 0^ 0h 0rR 0| 0@ 0 1uV 0dU>/U*mv~v HP DeskJet 560C PrinterDESKJETC ,,,, 0nL(9 Z 6Times New Roman RegularX($  E U!P"`e~3!(|3|x",rAZ"Arial Regular2 0Indent123  2" 0Indent20 23  2, 0Indent30 0 23  26 0Indent40 0 0 23  2@ 0Indent50 0 0 0 23  2J 0Indent60 0 0 0 0 23  2T 0Indent70 0 0 0 0 0 23  2^ 0Indent80 0 0 0 0 0 0 23    ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X<  9p`(&Times New Roman<  9p`(ArialPtPtHH(FG(HH(d'hStyl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   h HD: Geneva  h HD: Geneva ! .   ݛ       X \RA'\\RA'\7 o XXdd7 @ INTHECOURTOFCRIMINALAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE @ ATJACKSON @ DANNYJ.BRANSON,   )       )   Petitioner,    ) C.C.A.NO.02C019702CC00058       )  ̀vs.      )LAKECOUNTY        )  BILLYCOMPTON,WARDEN,  ) No. 977586       )   Respondent.    )        @ ORDER   ThismatterisbeforetheCourtuponthestatesmotiontoaffirmthejudgmentofthetrialcourtunderRule20,RulesoftheCourtofCriminalAppeals.ThecasebeforethisCourtrepresentsanappealfromthetrialcourtsdenialofthepetitionerspetitionforwritofhabeascorpus.TherecordwasfiledonFebruary12,1997,andthepetitioner'sbriefwasfiledonMarch11,1997.ThepetitionerwasoriginallyindictedononecountofrapeofachildinSeptember1995,andsubsequentlypledguiltytothesameinNovember1995.Inthepresentappeal,thepetitioner,relyinginpartuponStatev.RogerDaleHill,No.01C019508CC00267(Tenn.Crim.App.June20,1996),contendsthejudgmententeredagainsthimisvoidbecausetheindictmentfailedtoallegethemensreaoftheoffensecharged.  Havingreviewedthestatesmotioninlightofthepetitionersresponseandtheentirerecordonappeal,weconcludethatthemotioniswelltakenandshouldbegranted.Thetrialjudgedismissedthepetitionstatingthat [a]llegaiions[sic]concerningthesufficiencyofanindictmentarenotsubjecttohabeascorpusrelief.Itiswellestablishedthatchallengestothesufficiencyofanindictmentcannotbetestedinahabeascorpusproceeding.SeeHaggardv.State,475S.W.2d186,187(Tenn.Crim.App.1971);Brownv.State,445S.W.2d669,674(Tenn.Crim.App.1969).ApanelofthisCourtrecentlyheldthesameinacapitalcase.Barberv.State,No.01C019408CR00281(Tenn.Crim.App.,Feb.23,1995).  Nonetheless,wehaveconsideredthesubstanceofthepetitionersclaimanddetermineittobewithoutmerit.Rapeofachildisdefinedas theunlawfulsexualpenetrationofavictimbythedefendant...ifsuchvictimislessthanthirteen(13)yearsofage.T.C.A.3913522(1996supp.).Theindictmentatissuebeforeuschargedthatthepetitioner didcommitrapeofachildbyhavingunlawfulsexualpenetrationof[thevictim],achildlessthanthirteen(13)yearsofage,therebycommittingtheoffenseofRAPEOFACHILD,inviolationofT.C.A.3913522(a).Wefindthattheindictmentatissueheresufficientlyapprisedthepetitioneroftheoffensecharged,andisthereforevalid.  Avalidindictmentinthisstatemustcontaintheelementsconstitutingtheoffenseandmustsufficientlyapprisetheaccusedoftheoffenseheiscalledupontodefend.Statev.Tate,912S.W.2d785,789(Tenn.Crim.App.1995).Whenthelegislatureneglects,however,toincludetherequisitementalstateinthedefinitionofanoffense,permittingtheapplicationofanyoneofthethreementalstatessetforthinT.C.A.3911301(c),anallegationofcriminalconductwillprovidetheaccusedconstitutionallyadequatenoticeofthefactsconstitutingtheoffense.Statev.Dison,No.03C019602CC00051(Tenn.Crim.App.,Jan.31,1997).Theaccusedsculpablementalstate,therefore,isnotanessentialelementoftheoffense.Id.Consequently,thefailuretoallegeaculpablementalstateinthiscasedidnotinvalidatetheindictment.  Forthereasonsstatedabove,itisherebyORDERED,pursuanttoRule20,RulesoftheCourtofCriminalAppeals,thatthejudgmentofthetrialcourtdismissingthepetitionforwritofhabeascorpusisaffirmed.Costsofthisappealshallbeassessedagainstthepetitioner.  Enter,thisthe___dayofMay,1997.       __________________________________      PAULG.SUMMERS,JUDGE      __________________________________      DAVIDG.HAYES,JUDGE      __________________________________      JOEG.RILEY,JUDGE