tainted evidence
Illegally obtained findings
Tainted evidence is evidence obtained improperly or contaminated in ways that compromise its reliability or admissibility.
Police might gather evidence through illegal searches, or a crime scene might be corrupted by careless handling.
Once tainted, evidence may be excluded from trial: The judge ruled the confession was tainted evidence because police had denied the suspect access to a lawyer.
The phrase implies corruption that cannot be undone.
- contaminatedMade impure by contact
- corruptedMade impure or dishonest
- compromisedMade vulnerable to harm
- plantedPut into ground
- fabricatedInvented, not real
police misconduct · smoking gun · chain of custody · forensic · tampering · inadmissible · suppressed · mishandled · DNA · fingerprints · courtroom · prosecution · defense · Miranda rights · burden of proof · acquittal · mistrial · wrongful conviction
- injusticeinjustice, inequality, discrimination, bias, prejudice