Which doctrine is a former rule allowing federal courts to admit illegally obtained state evidence?

• A. Stop and Frisk
• B. Reasonable Suspicion
• C. Probable Cause
• D. Silver Platter Doctrine

Answer: (D)

The Silver Platter Doctrine is a historical rule that allowed federal courts to admit evidence illegally obtained by state authorities, as long as federal agents did not participate in the improper search or seizure. It reflected a time when state misconduct could be used in federal prosecutions, effectively serving the evidence “on a silver platter” to the federal system.

This is no longer the rule because the exclusionary rule was extended to the states, notably in Mapp v. Ohio, so illegally obtained evidence is generally inadmissible in both state and federal courts. That shift is why the Silver Platter doctrine is considered a former rule.