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Crime to Court: Police Officer's Handbook, November 1999

NCJ Number
180033
Author(s)
Joseph C. Coleman
Date Published
1999
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This booklet discusses unlawful traffic stops (with case studies) and the medical examination in cases of sexual assault.
Abstract
Illegally obtained evidence, with rare and narrow exceptions, will be suppressed as evidence against a person due to Fourth Amendment protections. This booklet examines the rule with respect to the admissibility of evidence of traffic offenses or other crimes committed by the suspect after an unlawful stop, assuming that those offenses resulted from the initial stop. The booklet examines a relevant case, discusses the opinion of the Supreme Court, reviews the "poison fruit" rule and provides a brief test for teaching purposes. It reviews medical examination procedures in cases of sexual assault, and describes the evidence collection kit provided to hospitals statewide in South Carolina by the State Law Enforcement Division.