What is the exclusionary rule and what are two common exceptions to it?

• A. Illegally obtained evidence is generally inadmissible; good faith exception and inevitable discovery.
• B. Evidence obtained with consent is admissible
• C. The rule only applies to federal cases
• D. The rule applies regardless of illegal search with a warrant

Answer: (A)

The exclusionary rule says that evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment is generally not admissible in court to deter unlawful searches and protect constitutional rights. Two common exceptions you’ll see are the good faith exception and the inevitable discovery doctrine. The good faith exception allows admission when officers reasonably rely on a warrant they believe to be valid (or on a statute they reasonably believe is valid), even if later it’s found defective, so the evidence can still be used. The inevitable discovery doctrine lets the court admit the evidence if the prosecution can show it would have been discovered lawfully anyway, through legitimate means, regardless of the initial illegal action. These ideas reflect practical policing realities: not every questionable search should bar all related evidence, especially when the error wasn’t due to willful misconduct and the evidence would have come to light anyway.