The Colorado Supreme Court is abandoning a rule that prosecutors prove a crime occurred as long as prosecutors prove a confession is trustworthy.
The rule requiring proof has been in force for more than a hundred years. In a ruling Monday, the court overturned the conviction of a man on sex assault charges under the old rules, saying it wouldn't be fair to apply the new rules without warning, but judges said the new rules will apply to future cases.
Prosecutors say the man confessed to his wife, his mother, his pastor, and police that he sexually assaulted his 2-year-old daughter, and he was convicted by a jury. The Colorado Court of Appeals reversed the conviction, saying prosecutors failed to prove that a crime occurred using other evidence.
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