What Is The Accomplice Witness Rule?
– RJ, Texas
Answer:
The accomplice witness rule is a rule of Texas Criminal Procedure. In Texas, you cannot be convicted solely on the word of someone accused of committing a crime with you.
For example, say one person gets charged with possession of drugs. That person may try to cut a deal with the prosecutor saying you are involved. You cannot be convicted of the crime unless they have some other evidence tying you to the crime. It doesn’t have to be much. It could be fingerprint on the bottle the drugs were found in or it could be a phone message.
But if all they have is his word, you can’t be convicted. You can be convicted on the word of one person, but that person can’t be charged or implicated in the same crime that you are charged with.
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