Exclusion Exception for Independent Source

Question 1

Murray v. United States (SCOTUS 1988)

Answer 1

This case held that, if the police has an independent source of information to support their warrant application and did not rely on the information obtained from an illegal search to get that warrant, the evidence discovered during the illegal search is admissible.

This is the marijuana case. The police had probable cause that there would be evidence of a crime in the warehouse. They illegally entered the warehouse. Saw bales of pot. They left and got a warrant without mentioning the evidence of the pot. And then returned and searched the warehouse and seized the pot. The Court held that the pot was admissible.