Which rule prohibits evidence obtained by unlawful search and seizure from being used in court?

Which rule prohibits evidence obtained by unlawful search and seizure from being used in court?

• A. The hearsay rule
• B. The best evidence rule
• C. The exclusionary rule
• D. The parol evidence rule

Answer: (C)

The exclusionary rule says that evidence obtained through an unlawful search and seizure cannot be admitted in court. This rule protects Fourth Amendment rights by excluding illegally obtained material to deter unconstitutional police conduct and to preserve the integrity of the judicial process. It also extends to derivative evidence in many cases under the fruit-of-the-poisonous-tree principle, though there are exceptions like good faith reliance on a defective warrant or independent source. The other rules address different admissibility issues: the hearsay rule concerns whether out-of-court statements offered for truth are reliable enough to be used, the best evidence rule requires the original document to prove its contents, and the parol evidence rule limits what may be shown about the terms of a contract when a written contract exists.

The exclusionary rule says that evidence obtained through an unlawful search and seizure cannot be admitted in court. This rule protects Fourth Amendment rights by excluding illegally obtained material to deter unconstitutional police conduct and to preserve the integrity of the judicial process. It also extends to derivative evidence in many cases under the fruit-of-the-poisonous-tree principle, though there are exceptions like good faith reliance on a defective warrant or independent source.

The other rules address different admissibility issues: the hearsay rule concerns whether out-of-court statements offered for truth are reliable enough to be used, the best evidence rule requires the original document to prove its contents, and the parol evidence rule limits what may be shown about the terms of a contract when a written contract exists.