Thomas H. Washington, Jr. v. United States

Appellant was convicted of rape after a second trial for the instant offense. 1 While his principal defense at trial was alibi, he contends on appeal that there was insufficient evidence to corroborate the testimony of prosecutrix as to the corpus delicti, and that the trial court erred in failing to instruct the jury that such evidence was required, although no such instruction was requested by trial counsel.

We think there was sufficient circumstantial evidence to corroborate the prosecutrix’ testimony, compensating for the lack of clear medical evidence of forcible penetration. The victim’s…