US Laws, Codes, Statutes & Cases

      Sec. 54-83. Testimony required in capital cases. No person may be convicted of any crime punishable by death without the testimony of at least two witnesses, or that which is equivalent thereto.

      (1949 Rev., S. 8799; P.A. 80-313, S. 47.)

      History: P.A. 80-313 substituted "may" for "shall".

      Not necessary that there should be two witnesses to every material fact; true rule stated. 49 C. 385; 77 C. 274; 78 C. 18; 93 C. 246; 97 C. 465; 103 C. 467; 106 C. 705; 122 C. 533; 126 C. 57. Whether requirement is met is for the jury to say. 81 C. 27; 90 C. 126; 93 C. 246; 97 C. 465; 103 C. 467. Charge embodying rule approved. 97 C. 465. Cited. 123 C. 673; 147 C. 95. If testimony of one or more witnesses tends to prove that a murder has been committed, testimony of only one other witness implicating the defendant is sufficient to satisfy the statute. 139 C. 475. The proof of all the essential elements of a capital crime charged shall not depend upon the testimony of one witness. 142 C. 113. One witness may testify to some of the essential facts and another to the rest of the essential facts and the statute may be satisfied. 147 C. 194. Adoption of Wigmore definition of "corpus delicti". Previous cases defining "corpus delicti" overruled. 152 C. 15. Cited. 182 C. 511, 525, 526. Cited. 229 C. 125, 130, 140. Cited. 230 C. 183-185, 218-221, 257, 278, 279. Cited. 233 C. 813, 814, 848, 851, 852. Cited. 235 C. 206, 216. Confession and independent circumstantial evidence satisfied the two witness rule. 251 C. 285.