Legal Definitions - fruit-of-the-poisonous-tree doctrine

The fruit-of-the-poisonous-tree doctrine is a rule in criminal procedure that states that evidence obtained from an illegal search, arrest, or interrogation is inadmissible in court. This is because the evidence is considered tainted by the illegality, or the "poisonous tree".

For example, if a murder weapon is found based on a map that was seized during an illegal search, both the map and the weapon would be inadmissible in court. This is because the evidence was obtained illegally and is therefore considered tainted.

Another example would be if a suspect is arrested without a warrant and then confesses to a crime during an interrogation. The confession would be considered fruit-of-the-poisonous-tree and would be inadmissible in court.

The fruit-of-the-poisonous-tree doctrine is important because it helps to protect the rights of individuals and ensures that evidence is obtained legally. It also helps to prevent law enforcement from using illegal tactics to obtain evidence.