DISCLOSING AND SUPPRESSING EVIDENCE

 I.          Discovery involves the exchange of information between the parties.
    A.        Civil vs. criminal
        1.         Civil discovery
            a.        Full disclosure
            b.        Most states based on Federal Rules of Civil  Procedure (1963).
        2.         Criminal discovery
            a.         No general right to discovery (Weatherford v. Bursey)
            b.         Varies greatly from state to state.
            c.         Exculpatory evidence must be given to defense (Brady v. Maryland)
    B.                 Prosecutors have both mandatory and optional disclosure rules.
        1.                  Disclosure varies between prosecutors’ offices.
        2.                  Varies according to defense attorneys
            a.                  Cooperative defense attorneys often receive more information.
            b.                  Based on norms of the courtroom work group
        3.                  Discovery and plea bargaining
            a.                  Informal prosecutorial discovery encourages plea bargain.
            b.                  Guilty pleas are entered sooner in courthouses with open discovery     policies.
    C.                 Reciprocal disclosure.                  Defense must notify prosecutor of certain defenses and pleas.
        2.                  Defendant’s rights against self-incrimination limit reciprocal discovery.

II.        The Exclusionary rule requires suppression of illegally obtained evidence in  criminal cases.
    A.                 Three justifications
        1.                  A court of law should not participate in nor condone illegal conduct.
        2.                  Excluding evidence will deter illegal police behavior.
        3.                  Alternative remedies are unworkable.
    B.                 Three distinct exclusionary rules
        1.                  Identification of suspects
        2.                  Confessions/interrogations
        3.                  Searches/seizures
    C.                 Miranda warnings
        1.                  Right to remain silent (5^th Amendment privilege against self-incrimination)
        2.                  Anything you say can be used against you.
        3.                  Right to an attorney (6^th Amendment)
        4.                  Indigents’ right to a court appointed attorney (6^th Amendment)
        5.                  Shifted burden of proof from defense to prosecutor/police
    D.                Conservative Courts
        1.                  In general, the Burger and Rehnquist Courts have limited Miranda and the exclusionary rule by creating exceptions.
        2.                  “Good faith” exceptions

III.       The exclusionary rule is designed to deter unlawful police searches and     seizures (4^th Amendment).
    A.                 Exclusionary rule
        1.                  Weeks v. U.S. applied exclusionary rule to federal law enforcement.
        2.                  Mapp v. Ohio applied exclusionary rule to states.
        3.                  Exclusionary rule enforced by the courts.
    B.                 Search warrants
        1.                  Generally searches must be conducted with a warrant.
        2.                  Rejection of search warrants by judges/magistrates is rare.
    C.                 Warrantless searches
        1.                  Consent
        2.                  Search incident to a lawful arrest
        3.                  Plain view

IV.       Motions to suppress are filed by defendants to invoke the exclusionary rule.
    A.                 Defense attorneys
        1.                  In most states, motions to suppress evidence must be made prior to trial.
        2.                  Defense bears the burden of proof.
        3.                  Decision influenced by the norms of the courtroom work group.
    B.                 Prosecutors
        1.                  Prosecutors maintain the upper hand in suppression motions.
        2.                  Prosecutorial power plays a key role.
    C.                 Costs of the exclusionary rule
        1.                  Roughly 5% of all cases are rejected for search and seizure issues.
        2.                  Motions to suppress are filed in less than 8% of all cases.
        3.                  Roughly 10% of motions to suppress are upheld.

V.        The U.S. Supreme Court has handed down a number of important opinions on these topics.
A.        Discovery
    1.         Weatherford v. Bursey
    2.         Brady v. Maryland
B.        Confession/interrogation
    1.         Miranda v. Arizona
    2.         New York v. Quarles
    3.         Minnick v. Mississippi
C.        Search and seizure
    1.         Weeks v. U.S.2.         Mapp v. Ohio
    3.         Terry v. Ohio
    4.         U.S. v. Leon
    5.         Knowles v. Iowa
    6.         U.S. v. Drayton