Legal Definitions - relative confession

Definition: A confession of guilt that also accuses another person of participating in the crime. If the accusation against the other person is proven, the confessing defendant is pardoned. If not, the defendant is convicted based on their confession.

Example: In the case of State v. Willis, a defendant confessed to a crime and also accused another person of being involved. If the other person was found guilty, the defendant would be pardoned. However, if the other person was not found guilty, the defendant would be convicted based on their confession.

This example illustrates how a relative confession involves not only admitting guilt but also implicating another person in the crime. The outcome of the other person's trial determines the fate of the confessing defendant.