Opinion ID: 1975189
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Existence of Corroborating Evidence in the Case

Text: Where the evidence in the case suggests that the declarant and not the accused may have committed the crime, a number of courts have found that the statement should be admitted. See People v. Lettrich, supra, 413 Ill. at 178-79, 108 N.E.2d at 491-492; Hines v. Commonwealth, supra, 136 Va. at 750, 117 S.E. at 844. In Hines the third party declarant who had admitted committing the crime for which the defendant was charged appeared to be as closely linked to the crime as the defendant. He had a weapon that was of the same caliber as the murder weapon; he was the same size as the man seen running from the scene of the crime; and prior to the crime he had threatened to kill a police officer. The court found that this other evidence tended to corroborate the statement of the declarant. Id. Not every case in which an accused proffers a declaration against penal interest will present such strong evidence linking the declarant to the crime. [16] Nor should such strong evidence be required; the trial court should not place the accused in the role of a prosecutor, having to prove the declarant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Where such evidence does exist, it should be viewed as strong corroborating circumstances tending to indicate the trustworthiness of the statement. [17]