What is the "fruit of the poisonous tree" doctrine?

The "fruit of the poisonous tree" doctrine is a critical legal principle in criminal law that addresses the admissibility of evidence. This doctrine asserts that if the government obtains evidence through illegal means, any additional evidence derived from that initial illegal evidence is also tainted and therefore inadmissible in court. In other words, if the original source of the evidence, such as a confession extracted under duress or physical evidence obtained without a proper warrant, is found to be illegal, any evidence that follows from that illicit source is considered "poisonous" and cannot be used against the defendant.

This doctrine serves to deter law enforcement from engaging in unlawful practices by ensuring that any resulting evidence cannot lead to a conviction. Essentially, it maintains the integrity of the judicial process by preventing convictions based on improper methods of evidence collection. This is especially important in upholding defendants' constitutional rights and ensuring justice is served fairly.

The other choices do not accurately capture the essence of the doctrine. While some may touch upon aspects of evidence gathering or witness interrogation, they do not pertain to the exclusion of evidence obtained indirectly through illegitimate means.