What is the fruit of the poisonous tree doctrine?

• A. Illegally obtained evidence and derivative evidence are generally inadmissible in court.
• B. Only derivative evidence is inadmissible.
• C. Both illegally obtained evidence and derivative evidence are always admissible.
• D. It applies only to civil matters.

Answer: (A)

The fruit of the poisonous tree doctrine says that evidence obtained through an illegal search or seizure is not only tainted itself, but any additional evidence later discovered as a result of that illegality is also generally inadmissible. This rule protects constitutional rights by preventing law enforcement from benefiting from violations and discourages unlawful police conduct. Because of this, the statement that illegally obtained evidence and derivative evidence are generally inadmissible in court best captures the doctrine. It’s not limited to civil matters, and while there are exceptions (like when an independent source, inevitable discovery, attenuation, or good-faith reliance on a warrant applies), the main idea is that tainted evidence and its fruits are suppressed to uphold constitutional protections.