Massachusetts v. Sheppard (1983)
- Docket
- 82-963
- Decided
- 1983-01-01
Summary
Question: If police officers mistakenly believe they have obtained a valid warrant, can a trial court use the evidence they obtained? Conclusion: Yes. Justice Byron White delivered the opinion for a 7-2 court. The Court maintained that trial courts can use evidence seized by officers who have an "objectively reasonable basis" for mistakenly believing they have obtained valid warrants. Upon a factual inquiry, the Court found that "the officers in this case took every step that could reasonably be expected of them" to secure a valid warrant. Lawmakers did not enact rules for excluding evidence to invalidate evidence because of clerical errors by judges but to deter police from conducting unlawful searches.