What are common reasons for evidence dismissal in court?

• A. Illegally obtained evidence, improper collection, chain-of-custody issues, or failure to follow proper procedures.
• B. Illegally obtained evidence only.
• C. All evidence is admissible with minor errors.
• D. Dismissal only occurs if the defendant asks.

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is that evidence can be dismissed or suppressed when it violates legal rules or constitutional protections. The most accurate option reflects multiple common grounds for suppression: evidence obtained illegally, problems with how evidence was collected, issues with chain of custody, and failures to follow proper procedures. Each of these can cast doubt on the integrity or legality of the evidence.

Illegally obtained evidence triggers suppression under the exclusionary rule, meaning evidence gathered in violation of a defendant’s rights isn’t admissible. Improper collection covers mistakes in how the evidence is gathered or preserved, which can taint its reliability or admissibility. Chain-of-custody issues mean there’s doubt that the item presented is the same one that was originally collected, raising concerns about tampering or contamination. Failures to follow proper procedures encompass a range of handling, documentation, storage, and procedural rules that, if breached, can lead to exclusion.

Why the other ideas don’t fit: restricting dismissal to only illegally obtained evidence ignores legitimate suppressible grounds like improper collection, chain-of-custody problems, and procedural errors. Saying all evidence is admissible with minor errors overstates admissibility and ignores serious violations that can still lead to suppression. And claiming dismissal only happens if the defendant asks is inaccurate because courts can suppress evidence on their own motion when rules are violated.