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Simple English definitions for legal terms
good-faith exception
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A quick definition of good-faith exception:
Good-Faith Exception: When police officers obtain evidence using a warrant that is later found to be invalid, the evidence can still be used in court if the officers believed the warrant was valid and acted in good faith. This exception was created by the Supreme Court in 1984.
A more thorough explanation:
The good-faith exception is a rule in criminal procedure that allows evidence obtained under a warrant that is later found to be invalid to still be admissible in court if the police acted in good faith when obtaining the warrant.
For example, if the police obtain a warrant to search a suspect's home based on information that later turns out to be false, but the police believed the information was true and acted in good faith, any evidence found during the search may still be admissible in court.
The good-faith exception was established by the Supreme Court in the case of United States v. Leon in 1984. The purpose of the exception is to prevent the exclusion of evidence that was obtained in good faith by police officers who believed they were acting within the law.