FRUIT-OF-THE-POISONOUS-TREE DOCTRINE

fruit-of-the-poisonous-tree doctrine. Criminal procedure. The rule that evidence derived from an illegal search, arrest, or interrogation is inadmissible because the evidence (the “fruit”) was tainted by the illegality (the “poisonous tree”). • Under this doctrine, for example, a murder weapon is inadmissible if the map showing its location and used to find it was seized […]