The Exclusionary Rule prohibitions apply to evidence obtained in violation of which constitutional amendment?

• A. First Amendment
• B. Second Amendment
• C. Fourth Amendment
• D. Sixth Amendment

Answer: (C)

The Exclusionary Rule is a remedy for violations of the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable searches and seizures. When evidence is gathered in a way that violates that protection—such as without a proper warrant or probable cause—the rule generally bars using that evidence in court. This helps deter unlawful police conduct and reinforces the privacy interests the Fourth Amendment is designed to safeguard. The rule can also extend to derivative evidence (the “fruit of the poisonous tree”) unless a recognized exception applies, like good faith reliance on a defective warrant, inevitable discovery, or an independent source. The other amendments listed govern different rights—free speech (First), the right to bear arms (Second), and the right to counsel and a fair trial (Sixth)—and do not establish the exclusionary remedy.