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11: Official Misconduct and the Exclusionary

  • Page ID
    35587
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    • 11.1: Overview, Objectives, and Key Terms
      This page examines the roles of criminal justice professionals in the court process, clarifying their responsibilities and dispelling misconceptions about trial judges. It distinguishes between types of defense counsel, explains pro se and standby counsel, and discusses the defendant's right to counsel. Additionally, it introduces key terms like accusatory and adjudicatory phases to enhance understanding of the legal system.
    • 11.2: Critical Thinking
      This page explores courtroom power dynamics, highlighting the significant role of prosecutors who must balance their discretion with ethical obligations to pursue justice. It presents a scenario involving a prosecutor's decision on disclosing potentially exculpatory evidence, like contradicting eyewitness accounts.
    • 11.3: Official Misconduct
      This page addresses official misconduct among public servants, highlighting the distinction between malfeasance and nonfeasance, and the requirement of specific intent for guilt. It explores police misconduct, noting that media coverage often exaggerates the prevalence of corruption, which is largely limited to "grass eaters" and "meat eaters.
    • 11.4: The Exclusionary Rule
      This page discusses the exclusionary rule in the U.S., which prevents the use of evidence obtained through violations of constitutional rights, mainly the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments. It aims to deter unlawful evidence gathering by law enforcement, applicable to all citizens but with limitations in civil cases and certain criminal proceedings. Critics highlight that it may result in guilty individuals being released due to police errors.
    • 11.5: Exceptions to the Exclusionary Rule-Important Case Law
      This page covers exceptions to the exclusionary rule in constitutional law, including the Attenuation, Inevitable Discovery, Independent Source, Good Faith, and Harmless Error doctrines. It explains that evidence, even if obtained illegally, may still be admissible under certain criteria.
    • 11.6: Michael F. Murray, Petitioner V. United States Of America, james D. Carter, Petitionerv. United States Of America
      This page discusses the arrest of Michael F. Murray and James D. Carter in 1983 for drug-related offenses, where federal agents found evidence of marijuana following an unlawful entry. The court decided that evidence from independent sources could be admissible, affirming the legality of the search in a 4-3 ruling. Dissenting opinions raised concerns about encouraging illegal police practices and the importance of strict standards for obtaining evidence.


    This page titled 11: Official Misconduct and the Exclusionary was last modified on Sun, 30 Aug 2026 07:34:50 GMT and is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Tabitha Raber.