Santonio Spratlin confessed to robbing a gas station of which he was a frequent customer. DeKalb Superior Court convicted him of armed robbery, but Mr. Spratlin appealed, pointing out that his confession required corroboration by other evidence according to O.C.G.A. § 24-8-823.
The Georgia Court of Appeals reviewed his case and noted that the victim verified that Spratlin was the robber. The Court also determined that the victim’s account of the event was similar to the defendant’s, although it offered more detail. As a result, the Appeals Court inevitably agreed with the trial court’s decision because of the evidence.