Legal Definitions - corpus delicti rule

The corpus delicti rule is a principle in criminal law that prevents a prosecutor from proving that a crime has occurred solely based on a defendant's out-of-court statements. In order to obtain a conviction, the prosecution must provide corroborating evidence to establish the corpus delicti.

For example, if a person is accused of stealing a car and confesses to the crime, the prosecution cannot rely solely on the confession to prove that the theft occurred. They must also provide additional evidence, such as eyewitness testimony or surveillance footage, to corroborate the confession and establish that a theft actually took place.

The purpose of the corpus delicti rule is to prevent wrongful convictions based solely on unreliable or coerced confessions. By requiring corroborating evidence, the rule helps ensure that the prosecution has a strong case before a defendant can be found guilty of a crime.