Herring v. U.S. (and why it sucks!)

Part 1: The Exclusionary Rule

On January 14, 2009, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion in Herring v. United States, further weakening the exclusionary rule by expanding the so-called "good faith" exception. What is the exclusionary rule? Why do we have it? What's the "good faith" exception? These questions and more are addressed in this week's legal rant.

Part 2: The "Good Faith" Exception

In Herring v. United States, the U.S. Supreme Court opened the door to letting the police get away with violating our 4th Amendment rights. So long as the mistake was not made by the officer on the scene, the Court said there's no need to kick out the evidence. What's the difference who violates the Constitution? Smoove is not pleased.

Know My Rights

Know My Rights is a 501(c)(3) community-based educational nonprofit organization. Since 2007, we have worked to combat injustices and disparities in our nation's institutions of criminal and civil law by educating the public about their basic legal rights and responsibilities. To achieve our goals, we have developed and implemented the most comprehensive yet simple to understand legal education program anywhere.