Opinion ID: 1144098
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: corpus delicti of the underlying felony

Text: (6) Contrary to Cantrell's contention, the People need not establish the corpus delicti of the underlying felony before introducing a defendant's extrajudicial statements. In People v. Miller [(1951)] 37 Cal.2d 801 [236 P.2d 137], the defendant contended it was incumbent upon the People to establish the corpus delicti of both the crime of murder and the underlying felony involved (attempted robbery) before his extrajudicial statements could be received in evidence. The court held the only prerequisite to consideration of extrajudicial statements was proof of the corpus delicti of the crime of murder, stating at page 806: The corpus delicti of the crime of murder having been established by independent evidence, both reason and authority indicate that the circumstances surrounding the commission of the crime can be shown by the extrajudicial statements of the accused, and that such evidence of the surrounding circumstances may be used to establish the degree of the crime committed. [ ] People v. Cooper, supra, 53 Cal.2d 755, at page 765, rejected the identical claim. [ ] (7) Thus Cantrell's extrajudicial statements were properly admitted to show he had been sexually molesting Danny immediately before he strangled him, so the prosecution could establish the degree of the crime by invoking felony-murder rules. (Pen. Code, § 189.)