Which statement correctly describes the relationship between the exclusionary rule and the fruit of the poisonous tree doctrine?

• A. The exclusionary rule concerns admissibility of illegally obtained evidence, and the fruit doctrine extends to derivative evidence.
• B. The exclusionary rule applies only to statements; the fruit doctrine applies only to physical evidence.
• C. They are unrelated concepts.
• D. The fruit doctrine makes all evidence admissible if initial evidence is obtained illegally.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is how the rule against using illegally obtained evidence connects to evidence that flows from that illegality. The exclusionary rule blocks the admission of evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment to deter police misconduct. The fruit of the poisonous tree doctrine takes that further: any evidence gathered as a result of the initial illegality is generally tainted and also not admissible, unless a recognized exception applies (like independent source, inevitable discovery, or attenuation). So the rule covers illegal gains, and the fruit doctrine extends that protection to derivative evidence. This isn’t limited to one type of evidence, and it doesn’t make all tainted evidence admissible; it maintains the bar unless an exception kicks in.