United States Ninth Circuit

Conviction of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana is affirmed over defendant's arguments that the district court erred by denying his motion for a judgment of acquittal because the government did not introduce sufficient evidence to corroborate his confession under the corpus delicti doctrine, where the government satisfied both prongs of the corpus delicti test set forth in US v. Lopez-Alvarez, 970 F.2d 583 (9th Cir. 1992), by introducing sufficient corroborating evidence that the core conduct of the defendant’s crime actually occurred, and sufficient evidence to corroborate the reliability of the videotaped confession and the authenticity of the defendant's confessed involvement in the conspiracy.

Appellate Information

• Published 2017/01/31

Judges

• CHRISTEN

Court

• United States Ninth Circuit

Counsel