Opinion ID: 887620
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Corpus Delicti and Res Gestae

Text: ¶ 71 One final matter needs mention. The parties in their briefs argue the corpus delicti doctrine. In State v. Hansen, 1999 MT 253, 296 Mont. 282, 989 P.2d 338, we urged the practicing bar and the trial courts not to use the corpus delicti and res gestae doctrines in future cases. Following a lengthy discussion, we observed that such terms are vague, imprecise, and have been misinterpreted and misused in the past. Hansen, ¶ 96 Accordingly, we stated that henceforth we will review claims of error in the admission of evidence by determining whether the evidence was admissible under some provision of the Montana Code Annotated or under the Montana Rules of Evidence. Hansen, ¶ 96 Pursuant to Hansen, I believe we should reiterate that we reject the use of these terms whenever litigants present them for substantive purposes in appeals to this Court. ¶ 72 I concur.