admit

Admit or admitting refers to a statement made by an individual to confirm the truthfulness of a claim. In criminal law, admitting to a fact may serve as evidence of guilt. Following Alexander v. State, 52 Md. App. 171 (1982), an admission is an acknowledgment by the accused of certain facts; which tend, together with other facts, to establish guilt.

In Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963), after the petitioner was convicted of murder and sentenced to death, he learned that evidence was withheld by the state in which another individual admitted to the crimes of which he was wrongfully accused. The court held that suppression of evidence that could potentially prove the innocence of an individual violates the Due Process Clause under the U.S. Constitution.

[Last reviewed in February of 2025 by the Wex Definitions Team]

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