Good faith exception scenario

Good faith exception scenario

• A. A defective warrant later found invalid
• B. A warrant based on probable cause that actually exists
• C. A search conducted with consent
• D. A search conducted during an emergency

Answer: (A)

The good faith exception applies when police act on a warrant they reasonably believe to be valid, even if the warrant later turns out to be defective. In this scenario, the warrant is defective and later found invalid, yet the officers relied on it in good faith at the time of the search. Because their reliance was objectively reasonable and there was no obvious reason for them to question the warrant’s validity, the evidence obtained during the search is admissible under the good faith rule. The other options describe different routes to allow or justify a search without relying on the good faith exception: a search based on voluntary consent is governed by the consent exception, not by good faith; a warrant that actually had probable cause is valid from the start and wouldn’t typically invoke good faith concerns; and a search during an emergency falls under exigent circumstances.

The good faith exception applies when police act on a warrant they reasonably believe to be valid, even if the warrant later turns out to be defective. In this scenario, the warrant is defective and later found invalid, yet the officers relied on it in good faith at the time of the search. Because their reliance was objectively reasonable and there was no obvious reason for them to question the warrant’s validity, the evidence obtained during the search is admissible under the good faith rule.

The other options describe different routes to allow or justify a search without relying on the good faith exception: a search based on voluntary consent is governed by the consent exception, not by good faith; a warrant that actually had probable cause is valid from the start and wouldn’t typically invoke good faith concerns; and a search during an emergency falls under exigent circumstances.