The good faith exception allows evidence obtained by officers acting in reasonable reliance on a warrant issued by a neutral and detached judge to be admissible even if the warrant is later declared unconstitutional.

The good faith exception allows evidence obtained by officers acting in reasonable reliance on a warrant issued by a neutral and detached judge to be admissible even if the warrant is later declared unconstitutional.

• A. False
• B. Only for state statutes
• C. True
• D. Only if the judge confirms

Answer: (C)

The good faith exception to the exclusionary rule is the main idea here. When police act reasonably on a warrant issued by a neutral and detached judge, the evidence they obtain can be admitted even if that warrant is later found unconstitutional. This principle, established in United States v. Leon, rests on the notion that suppression should not punish officers for magistrate-level mistakes when their reliance on the warrant was objective and reasonable. The key is that the warrant on its face appeared valid and the officers did not knowingly ignore red flags or mislead the magistrate. There are limits, though: if the warrant is so lacking in probable cause that no reasonable officer would rely on it, or if the police lied to the magistrate or otherwise violated the warrant’s terms or scope, the good faith exception may not apply. So, the statement is true.

The good faith exception to the exclusionary rule is the main idea here. When police act reasonably on a warrant issued by a neutral and detached judge, the evidence they obtain can be admitted even if that warrant is later found unconstitutional. This principle, established in United States v. Leon, rests on the notion that suppression should not punish officers for magistrate-level mistakes when their reliance on the warrant was objective and reasonable. The key is that the warrant on its face appeared valid and the officers did not knowingly ignore red flags or mislead the magistrate. There are limits, though: if the warrant is so lacking in probable cause that no reasonable officer would rely on it, or if the police lied to the magistrate or otherwise violated the warrant’s terms or scope, the good faith exception may not apply. So, the statement is true.