S-561                 _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 3241

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Senators Lee, Zimmerman, Metcalf, Benitz, McCaslin, Bailey, Saling, Johnson, Deccio, Hayner and McDonald

Read first time 1/22/85 and referred to Committee on Judiciary.

AN ACT Relating to evidence; and adding a new section to chapter 10.58 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 10.58 RCW to read as follows:

          In cases involving sexual abuse of a child under twelve years of age, the "corpus delicti" rule is not sufficient to disqualify a confession as lacking corroborating evidence, and if a defendant's confession is sufficient to establish all the elements of the crime, it may be admitted as evidence against the defendant.