The guilt or innocence of a defendant in a criminal trial is dependent on several factors. However, one of the key items that can never be ignored is the evidence. Many classic criminal trials were decided on a single piece of evidence found at the scene of the crime, in an unexpected area far from the scene of the crime, or even in possession of the defendant. Such cases are prominent in both legal fiction and real-world newspaper stories about sensational crimes.
While evidence can play a huge part in deciding the outcome of a trial, there are many cases where such material may actually have no bearing on the case, or the evidence may actually not be admissible for use in the trial due to certain circumstances but the prosecution still insists on using it. In such situations, your criminal defense attorney will opt to file a motion to suppress evidence to protect you from being incriminated by such evidence.
What is a Motion to Suppress Evidence?
In US Law, a motion to suppress evidence is a legal motion filed by the defense requesting a court judge or jury to exclude certain pieces of evidence entered into the case’s legal record. The defense files this motion in the belief that some of the evidence against their client actually has no bearing on the crime they are charged with, was obtained in an extralegal manner, or that the process undertaken to obtain the evidence was unfair to the defense.
Note that a motion to supress evidence on extralegal grounds is not always granted by courts. There are instances where evidence obtained through illegal means may still be admitted for use in a trial under certain circumstances. These circumstances may include:
- the defendant’s legal standing was not violated when the evidence was obtained
- the discovery of the evidence was inevitable, thereby ruling its legality or illegality out of the question
- the level of illegality was of marginal importance
- the concerned law enforcer who obtained the evidence acted on good faith and was not in any way informed that the evidence would not hold on legal grounds otherwise
When is This Motion Applicable?
The most common cases where the motion to suppress evidence is filed usually involve unreasonable search and seizure situations. The Constitution protects individuals from such search and seizure situations as stipulated in the Fourth Amendment. However, the defendant must be able to prove that it was their rights that were violated and not someone else’s if they want to get their motion approved.
The motion is of course not just limited to Fourth Amendment-related complaints. Other situations where this motion is applicable may include:
- Illegal traffic stops
- entrapment operations for crimes like drug use and prostitution
- eyewitness identification
- law enforcement acting without legal grounds to do so
- Miranda rights violations
In general, the motion to suppress evidence is only valid and grantable if the situation satisfies the requirements of the Exclusionary Rule.
Why This Applies to You
Defending against severe criminal charges is hard, and your situation would just get worse if you have illegal evidence stacked against you. You have an inviolable right to a fair trial; using improper evidence is a major violation of that right.
The motion to suppress evidence is your first line of defense against a possible mistrial or wrongful conviction. It helps defendants deal with officers overstepping their authority, making it clear that their case was not properly processed. In the end, the primary purpose of a motion to suppress evidence is to ensure that you obtain a better chance at gaining an acquittal or dismissal by proving that the evidence against you should not be used in trial.
The motion to suppress evidence may be a potent tool against unlawful convictions, but it is not an end-all-be-all legal motion. There are still many factors that can lead to a failed motion, which can put you in an even worse legal situation. In the end, it is important that you communicate and work closely with your criminal defense attorney so he can guide you better through the legal proceedings.