Which case established the exclusionary rule at the federal level?

Which case established the exclusionary rule at the federal level?

• A. Mapp v. Ohio
• B. Katz v. United States
• C. U.S. v. Jones
• D. Weeks v. United States

Answer: (D)

Where the exclusionary rule began in federal courts is the key point. Weeks v. United States established that evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment is inadmissible in federal prosecutions, creating the federal exclusionary rule. This rule originally applied to federal cases only. Mapp v. Ohio later extended the rule to the states through incorporation of the Fourth Amendment via the Fourteenth Amendment. Katz v. United States focuses on the expectation of privacy and when searches are considered unreasonable, not on the rule’s origin. U.S. v. Jones deals with GPS tracking and surveillance boundaries, not the foundational exclusionary rule.

Where the exclusionary rule began in federal courts is the key point. Weeks v. United States established that evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment is inadmissible in federal prosecutions, creating the federal exclusionary rule. This rule originally applied to federal cases only. Mapp v. Ohio later extended the rule to the states through incorporation of the Fourth Amendment via the Fourteenth Amendment. Katz v. United States focuses on the expectation of privacy and when searches are considered unreasonable, not on the rule’s origin. U.S. v. Jones deals with GPS tracking and surveillance boundaries, not the foundational exclusionary rule.