Inevitable discovery refers to what principle?

• A. The police can use evidence if it would have been discovered lawfully regardless of the initial actions
• B. The police can use evidence if it would inevitably have been discovered
• C. Evidence obtained from a divided warrant is admissible
• D. The police must destroy tainted evidence in all cases

Answer: (B)

Inevitable discovery is an exception to the exclusionary rule: evidence obtained through illegal means can be admitted if it would have been discovered anyway by lawful, ongoing investigative steps. The emphasis is on inevitability—there must be a reasonable probability that the same evidence would have been found through legitimate methods, regardless of the improper action that led to its initial discovery. If the only path to discovery depended on the illegal conduct, the evidence would not be admissible. This is why the statement that it would inevitably have been discovered captures the correct principle.