Missouri Abolishes the Corroboration Rule and the Destructive Contradictions Doctrine: A Victory for Victims of Sexual Assault?

Part II of this Note explores the issue in the case at hand, State v. Porter, which has finally abolished both the corroboration rule and destructive contradictions doctrine in Missouri sexual assault cases. Next, Part III presents the archaic rationale behind the two doctrines and explores its development. Finally, in Part IV, the Supreme Court of Missouri’s decision to abolish these doctrines is dissected and the evolution of these evidentiary common law rules is analyzed in light of courts’ efforts to remove the high wall of doubt female victims must attempt to overcome. This analysis reveals that much still needs to be done in order to truly prevent sex and gender norms from continuing to enter the courtroom and burden prosecutions of sexual assault

No Less a Victim: A Call to Governor Nixon to Grant Clemency to Two Missouri Women

Approximately one in three women in the United States will fall victim to domestic violence in her lifetime. In recent years, an intimate partner killed approximately thirty-nine percent of female homicide victims in the United States; an intimate partner only killed 2.8% of male homicide victims. Battered Woman Syndrome (“BWS”) has received broad recognition in an effort to help factfinders better understand how battered women perceive their relationships, and opportunities for escape from abuse, as well as reactions to the cycle of violence. Before the introduction of expert testimony regarding BWS was admissible at trial, women who killed their partners were unable to plead self-defense and often pled guilty or claimed an impaired mental state defense

No Less a Victim: A Call to Governor Nixon to Grant Clemency to Two Missouri Women

Approximately one in three women in the United States will fall victim to domestic violence in her lifetime. In recent years, an intimate partner killed approximately thirty-nine percent of female homicide victims in the United States; an intimate partner only killed 2.8% of male homicide victims. Battered Woman Syndrome (“BWS”) has received broad recognition in an effort to help factfinders better understand how battered women perceive their relationships, and opportunities for escape from abuse, as well as reactions to the cycle of violence. Before the introduction of expert testimony regarding BWS was admissible at trial, women who killed their partners were unable to plead self-defense and often pled guilty or claimed an impaired mental state defense