Sharkbait said:
They would still have to prove that the crime was committed. Just because a guy claims it on the internet doesn't mean it's true. There is a long way between an internet confession and proving the crime was committed.
Correct sir.
It is called the
corpus delecti rule... You cannot EVER be punished based on your confession alone. The government MUST prove the crime separately without your confession, and cannot use your confession as part of that proof, but only use it to link you to the crime.
Our forefathers adopted this rule, because in the old days lots of people where prosecuted on confessions alone, and many confessed to be witches, warlocks, thieves, murders, and even poachers, with no other evidence.
Problem was since the government is so trust worthy, politically unpopular people, or regular folks who crossed the wrong LEO found they confessed to lot's of stuff, and went to jail or death based on their "confession".
So the courts said, enough is enough prove a crime before you admit the confession with evidence other than a confession... and the use of torture and false testimony has fallen a bit as a result..