What is the purpose of a motion to suppress evidence in criminal cases?

In criminal cases, a motion to suppress evidence is a request to a judge to exclude evidence obtained from a defendant in violation of their constitutional rights, such as the Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures. The purpose of the motion is to prevent the use of evidence that was obtained in violation of the defendant’s rights, or that would otherwise be considered unreliable or prejudicial. If the judge grants the motion, the evidence in question will be excluded from the trial and cannot be used as evidence by the prosecution. If the motion is granted, it can be beneficial to the defense by excluding damaging evidence from the trial. For example, if the police failed to inform the defendant of their Miranda rights, any statements made to the police by the defendant as a result of this failure cannot be used as evidence in the trial. Additionally, if police acted unlawfully while searching a person or place, any evidence that was obtained as a result of the illegal search may also be excluded. In short, a motion to suppress evidence is used to prevent the use of evidence obtained in violation of a defendant’s constitutional rights. If the motion is granted, this evidence cannot be used as evidence in the trial, which could potentially benefit the defendant if the excluded evidence is damaging.

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What is the purpose of a motion to suppress evidence in criminal cases?

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