United States v. Dalhouse

SYKES, Circuit Judge.

When the government introduces a defendant’s confession to supplement an otherwise legally inadequate case, the Supreme Court requires corroborating evidence to show that the confession is trustworthy. See Opper v. United States, 348 U.S. 84, 89, 75 S.Ct. 158, 99 L.Ed. 101 (1954). This “corroboration rule” is at the center of this case.

Germaine Dalhouse was convicted of carrying a gun while being an illegal-drug user. See 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3). He claims the government was wrongly allowed to present his confession to the jury without first producing corroborating evidence…