Legal Definitions - suppression hearing

A suppression hearing is a type of hearing held in criminal court to determine whether evidence obtained by law enforcement should be excluded from trial. The hearing is usually requested by the defense and is held before the trial begins.

For example, if the police obtained evidence through an illegal search or seizure, the defense may request a suppression hearing to argue that the evidence should not be allowed in court. The judge will then decide whether the evidence is admissible or not.

Another example is if the police obtained a confession from the defendant without reading them their Miranda rights. The defense may argue that the confession should be suppressed because the defendant was not properly informed of their rights.

Overall, a suppression hearing is an important part of the criminal justice process that ensures that evidence obtained by law enforcement is obtained legally and fairly.