What does the Exclusionary Rule prohibit in a criminal trial?

The Exclusionary Rule is a legal principle that prevents evidence collected or analyzed in violation of a defendant's constitutional rights from being used in a criminal trial. This rule primarily arises from the Fourth Amendment, which protects individuals from unreasonable searches and seizures. When evidence is obtained without proper warrants or probable cause, it is deemed inadmissible in court to ensure that law enforcement agencies adhere to constitutional protections.

This mechanism works to deter law enforcement from bypassing legal protocols, thus upholding the integrity of the judicial process. By prohibiting the use of unlawfully obtained evidence, the rule safeguards the rights of defendants and reinforces the idea that justice should be pursued within the bounds of the law. In contrast, the other options pertain to aspects of trial procedure or relevancy that do not directly relate to the principle governing the admissibility of evidence based on constitutional violations.