In re Joseph C.

Citations

• 178 A.3d 288

Syllabus

The juvenile respondent, Joseph C., appealed from a May 22, 2015 judgment of the Family Court finding him delinquent for having committed first-degree robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery. He contended that the state failed to submit sufficient independent evidence establishing the corpus delicti of the crimes charged and that, as a result, his confession should not have been considered by the trial justice. The Supreme Court found that the state had produced sufficient evidence, independent of respondent's confession, to establish the corpus delicti of the crimes charged. The Court also held that the trial justice did not misconceive or overlook material evidence in adjudicating the respondent delinquent on both charges and, accordingly, the trial justice did not err in relying on respondent's confession in reaching her decision and in adjudicating him delinquent. Accordingly, the Court affirmed the judgment of the Family Court.