Can a witness be corroborated in a criminal case even if they have not been given any instructions?

California, United States of America


The following excerpt is from People v. Rodriguez, B243578 (Cal. App. 2014):

However, even when accomplice instructions are necessary, but are not given, we will not find prejudice if the witness's testimony was sufficiently corroborated. (People v. Boyer (2006) 38 Cal.4th 412, 467.) " ' "Such [corroborative] evidence 'may be slight and entitled to little consideration when standing alone. [Citations.]' " [Citation.] "Corroborating evidence 'must tend to implicate the defendant and therefore must relate to some act or fact which is an element of the crime but it is not necessary that [such] evidence be sufficient in itself to establish every element of the offense charged.' [Citation.]" [Citation.]' [Citation.]" (Ibid.)

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