Prohibits use of items obtained as a result of unreasonable search and seizure as evidence against a criminal defendant.

• A. Exclusionary Rule
• B. Double Jeopardy
• C. Miranda Rule
• D. Probable Cause Rule

Answer: (A)

The Exclusionary Rule is the principle that evidence obtained through unreasonable searches and seizures cannot be used against a defendant in court. This rule exists to deter unlawful police conduct and to protect the Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable searches. It covers not only the seized items themselves but also other evidence derived from the initial illegality (the “fruits of the poisonous tree”), though there are notable exceptions where such evidence may still be admitted, like good faith reliance on a warrant. Other listed rules address different protections: Double Jeopardy protects against being tried twice for the same offense, Miranda warnings relate to interrogation and the right to counsel, and the concept of probable cause concerns whether a search or arrest is justified in the first place, not suppression of evidence.