State v. Douglas

TERNUS, Justice.

It has long been the law in Iowa that one may not be convicted on the testimony of an accomplice alone. See Iowa R.Crim. P. 2.21(3); State v. Brandt, 242 Iowa 382, 388, 44 N.W.2d 690, 693 (1950).. A similar rule exists with respect to a defendant’s confession: “a confession standing alone will not warrant a criminal conviction unless other proof shows the defendant committed the crime.” State v. Polly, 657 N.W.2d 462, 466 (Iowa 2003); accord Iowa R.Crim. P. 2.21(4) (stating defendant’s uncorroborated confession will not support a conviction “unless made in open court”). Thus,…