Legal Definitions - independent-source rule

The independent-source rule is a legal principle in criminal procedure that allows evidence obtained by illegal means to be admissible in court if it is also obtained by legal means unrelated to the original illegal conduct. This rule is an exception to the fruit-of-the-poisonous-tree doctrine, which generally prohibits the use of evidence obtained through illegal searches or seizures.

Suppose that a police officer conducts an illegal search of a suspect's home and finds drugs. The drugs would normally be inadmissible in court under the fruit-of-the-poisonous-tree doctrine. However, if the police officer later obtains a search warrantbased on independent evidence (such as a tip from a confidential informant) and finds the same drugs, the drugs may be admissible under the independent-source rule.

This rule is intended to prevent criminals from benefiting from their own illegal conduct while still allowing law enforcement to use evidence that is obtained through legal means. It is important to note that the independent-source rule only applies if the legal means of obtaining the evidence are truly independent and not tainted by the original illegal conduct.