What must a prosecutor provide before a confession can be admitted into evidence?

Before a confession can be admitted into evidence, a prosecutor must provide corpus delicti evidence. This refers to the principle that a crime must be proven to have occurred before an individual can be convicted of committing that crime. In the context of a confession, the prosecutor needs to establish that a crime has actually taken place, independent of the confession itself. Thus, the confession can then be seen as a full, voluntary admission of guilt related to that proven crime.

The requirement of corpus delicti serves as a safeguard against false confessions and ensures that someone is not convicted solely based on their own admissions without any proof that the crime has been committed. For example, if a person confesses to a murder, there must be evidence that a murder actually occurred, such as a body or forensic evidence linking the crime to the confession. This foundational element supports the integrity of the judicial process and helps maintain justice by ensuring that confessions are reliable and contextualized within the framework of verified criminal activity.