Legal Dictionary
Main Entry:
exclusionary ruleFunction:
noun : any of various rules that exclude or suppress evidence;
specifically : a rule of evidence that excludes or suppresses evidence obtained in violation of a defendant's constitutional rights —see also
FRUIT OF THE POISONOUS TREE,
GOOD FAITH EXCEPTION,
Mapp v. Ohio and
Wong Sun v. United States in the
IMPORTANT CASES section
NOTE: The U.S. Supreme Court established the rule that evidence gathered by a governmental agent in violation of esp. the Fourth and Fifth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution cannot be admitted against a defendant. The rule is available primarily in criminal trials or quasi-criminal proceedings (as punitive administrative hearings) and must also be observed by state courts. There are various statutory exclusionary rules in addition to the rule established by the Supreme Court.
