exclusionary rule

American  

noun

1. a rule that forbids the introduction of illegally obtained evidence in a criminal trial.

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Etymology

Origin of exclusionary rule

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

First, most evidence obtained from an illegal search may not be used against the defendant at trial under the Fourth Amendment’s exclusionary rule; thus, officers routinely provide false justifications for searching or arresting a civilian.

From Slate • Aug. 4, 2020

In 2009, four years after Rehnquist died, the court did not overturn the exclusionary rule but came close.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 11, 2018

Under the exclusionary rule, illegally obtained evidence cannot be used at trial.

From Slate • Apr. 7, 2017

To meet that problem, the Supreme Court has adopted, and is still refining, the exclusionary rule.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2016

The Court has intimated recently that the federal exclusionary rule is not a command of the Fourth Amendment, but merely a judicially created rule of evidence which Congress could overrule.

From The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation Annotations of Cases Decided by the Supreme Court of the United States to June 30, 1952 by Corwin, Edward Samuel