What is the exclusionary rule?

• A. The exclusionary rule requires that all evidence be admitted regardless of how it was obtained.
• B. The rule excludes only physical evidence but not statements.
• C. The rule applies only to federal officers and not to state officers.
• D. Evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment is generally inadmissible in court.

Answer: (D)

The exclusionary rule bars the use of evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment. This rule exists to deter police from conducting illegal searches or seizures and to protect individuals’ Fourth Amendment rights. It applies to both physical evidence and statements, because if the method of gathering that evidence breaches constitutional protections, the evidence is typically suppressible in court. While there are limited exceptions (such as good faith, inevitable discovery, or independent source), the general idea is that unlawfully obtained evidence should not be used. The rule also applies to state officers as well as federal officers, since the Fourth Amendment protections are incorporated against the states through the Fourteenth Amendment (as established in Mapp v. Ohio).