fruit of the poisonous tree

Definition

Evidence obtained illegally or as a result of an illegal search, making it inadmissible in court. If the tree is rotten, the fruit doesn't suddenly become fresh just because it looks good.

Example Usage

The confession was thrown out as fruit of the poisonous tree because it resulted from an unlawful search.

Origin

Coined by Justice Felix Frankfurter in Nardone v. United States (1939)

Fun Fact

This doctrine has exceptions with equally colorful names, like 'inevitable discovery' and 'independent source.'

Source: Criminal law and constitutional law terminology

Related Terms

Intermediate

gratuitous

Something given for free without expectation of payment or consideration, though in legal contexts it often implies something done without good reason or justification. It's the difference between a genuine gift and that unnecessary violence in movies your parents complained about. When lawyers use it, they're usually criticizing something as excessive or unwarranted.

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Beginner

acquitted

When a judge or jury officially declares someone not guilty, sending them home with a legally binding "our bad" after what was probably the worst experience of their life. It's not quite the same as being declared innocent—it just means the prosecution couldn't prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt. Despite what TV shows suggest, you can't be tried again for the same crime thanks to double jeopardy protections.

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clauses

The individual building blocks of contracts and legal documents that lawyers obsess over like puzzle pieces. Each clause covers a specific topic or obligation, and heaven help you if you miss the one buried on page 47 that waives all your rights. In grammar, they're sentence components; in law, they're potential landmines.

⚖️ Legal

Intermediate

informant

Someone who provides information to authorities, usually about illegal activities, often at great personal risk or for personal gain. The person in crime movies who 'knows a guy' or wears a wire to the meeting. In linguistics, a much less dramatic native speaker who helps researchers understand their language without anyone getting whacked.

⚖️ Legal

Beginner

default judgment

A binding judgment in favor of the plaintiff when the defendant fails to respond or appear, essentially winning by forfeit. The legal equivalent of victory by no-show.

⚖️ Legal

Advanced

Force Majeure

A fancy French legal term for "an act of God got us out of this contract," covering everything from earthquakes to pandemics to that one time a ship got stuck in a canal. The ultimate get-out-of-jail-free card for corporations.

⚖️ Legal

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