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Simple English definitions for legal terms
fruit-of-the-poisonous-tree doctrine
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A quick definition of fruit-of-the-poisonous-tree doctrine:
The fruit-of-the-poisonous-tree doctrine is a rule in criminal law that says evidence obtained through illegal means, such as an illegal search or arrest, cannot be used in court. This is because the evidence is considered tainted by the illegality, like a fruit that has been poisoned by a tree. For example, if the police found a murder weapon using a map that was obtained through an illegal search, the weapon would not be admissible in court. Other related rules include the exclusionary rule, attenuation doctrine, independent-source rule, and inevitable-discovery rule.
A more thorough explanation:
The fruit-of-the-poisonous-tree doctrine is a rule in criminal procedure that states that evidence obtained from an illegal search, arrest, or interrogation is inadmissible in court. This is because the evidence is considered tainted by the illegality, or the "poisonous tree".
For example, if a murder weapon is found based on a map that was seized during an illegal search, both the map and the weapon would be inadmissible in court. This is because the evidence was obtained illegally and is therefore considered tainted.
Another example would be if a suspect is arrested without a warrant and then confesses to a crime during an interrogation. The confession would be considered fruit-of-the-poisonous-tree and would be inadmissible in court.
The fruit-of-the-poisonous-tree doctrine is important because it helps to protect the rights of individuals and ensures that evidence is obtained legally. It also helps to prevent law enforcement from using illegal tactics to obtain evidence.