United States v. Leon

United States v. Leon (1984) is a Supreme Court case that dealt with the issue of evidence obtained from a search warrant later found to be invalid. The Court ruled that evidence should not automatically be excluded just because the warrant was faulty, as long as police acted in good faith, believing the warrant was valid. This "good faith" exception allows for evidence to be used in court despite procedural mistakes, balancing the need for fair law enforcement against the rights of individuals. The decision aimed to prevent the exclusion of reliable evidence that could help prosecute criminal activities.