By way of background, the author first describes that doctrine and then discusses the U.S. Supreme Court decisions in the 1980s that recognized a good-faith exception to the exclusionary rule. He then takes a close look at the recent lower court decisions that considered whether a good-faith exception should be extended to the fruit of the poisonous tree doctrine. The author concludes that although there is some justification for the exception it should apply only in extremely limited circumstances. 87 notes (Author abstract)