In criminal law, what does corps delicti refer to?

Corps delicti is a legal term that translates to "body of the crime." It refers to the essential elements that must be proven in order to establish that a crime has occurred. Understanding this concept is crucial in criminal law because it outlines the foundational aspects that constitute a criminal offense, such as a specific act (actus reus) and the requisite mental state (mens rea) that accompany it. Establishing the corps delicti is vital for the prosecution, as it demonstrates that a crime was actually committed before a person can be convicted.

The remaining choices focus on different aspects of the criminal justice process, such as the procedures surrounding arrests, defenses available to defendants, and the role of witness testimony, which do not encapsulate the specific foundational elements that define the occurrence of a crime.