Arizona Revised Statutes

Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 13-3987 (2026)

Harmless error

✓ current as of May 2026
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Neither a departure from the form or mode prescribed in respect to any pleadings or proceedings, nor an error or mistake therein, shall render the pleading or proceeding invalid, unless it actually has prejudiced, or tended to prejudice, the defendant in respect to a substantial right.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 26 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1980–2023 · leading case: State v. Ring, 65 P.3d 915 (Ariz. 2003).
State v. Ring, 65 P.3d 915 (Ariz. 2003). · cites it 4× “VI, § 27 (2001); accord A.R.S. § 13-3987 (2001). If error is harmless, in these or other cases, substantial justice has been done.”
State v. Hickman, 68 P.3d 418 (Ariz. 2003). · cites it 4× “A.R.S. § 13-3987. This statute states that "[n]either a departure from the form or mode prescribed in respect to any pleadings or proceedings, nor an error or mistake therein, shall render the pleadings or proceedings invalid, unless it actually prejudiced, or tended to…”
State v. Vasko, 971 P.2d 189 (Ariz. Ct. App. 1998). · cites it 8× “6, § 27; A.R.S. § 13-3987. ¶ 3 We conclude that, in the absence of a showing of prejudice, a speedy trial violation raised as error on appeal after conviction does not warrant reversal of that conviction.”
State of Arizona v. Joseph Javier Romero, 381 P.3d 297 (Ariz. Ct. App. 2016). · cites it 4× “Arizona constitutional and statutory law, however, proscribe reversal for a trial error if “substantial justice has been done,” Ariz.”
State v. Huerta, 855 P.2d 776 (Ariz. 1993). · cites it 4× “The Arizona legislature has also adopted a statute which is relevant to the issues of this case: Neither a departure from the form or mode prescribed in respect to any pleadings or proceedings, nor an error or mistake therein, shall render the pleading or proceeding invalid,…”
State v. Gendron, 812 P.2d 626 (Ariz. 1991). · cites it 2× “For all we know, defendant might have objected had the trial court done what the appeals court now says it was required to do.”
State v. Sullivan, 69 P.3d 1006 (Ariz. Ct. App. 2003). · cites it 2× “It is also contrary to statute: “Neither a departure from the form or mode prescribed in respect to any pleadings or proceedings, nor an error or mistake therein, shall render the pleading or proceeding invalid, unless it actually has prejudiced, or tended to prejudice, the…”
State v. White, 815 P.2d 869 (Ariz. 1991). · cites it 2× “Whether denominated harmless error, as when dealing with constitutional error, Chapman, supra, or prejudicial error, A.R.S. § 13-3987, as when dealing with non-constitutional error, the test is the same.”
State v. McVay, 622 P.2d 9 (Ariz. 1980). · cites it 2× “Whether denominated harmless error, as when dealing with constitutional error, Chapman, supra, or prejudicial error, A.R.S. § 13-3987, as when dealing with non-constitutional error, the test is the same.”
State v. Leonard, 725 P.2d 493 (Ariz. Ct. App. 1986). · cites it 2× “” Although the trial court committed error in rejecting the proffered stipulation, it was harmless in light of the other overwhelming evidence against the defendant. Officer McCarthy’s testimony and the defendant’s two intoxilyzer tests were sufficient for conviction.”
Joshua J. v. Arizona Dep't of Econ. Sec., 286 P.3d 166 (Ariz. Ct. App. 2012). · cites it 2× “A.R.S. § 13-3987 (2010) (criminal proceedings are not invalidated unless prejudice is shown).”
State v. Thomas, 652 P.2d 1380 (Ariz. 1982). · cites it 2× ““Whether denominated harmless error, as when dealing with constitutional error, Chapman, supra, or prejudicial error, A.R.S. § 13-3987, as when dealing with non-constitutional error, the test is the same.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.