Question

A man suspects his neighbor of dealing in stolen goods. One night while the neighbor is out of town, the man breaks into his house and takes out two television sets. He then takes the television sets to the local law enforcement agency which checks the serial numbers and determines that they are stolen. Those television sets may be used as evidence against the neighbor when he is tried for receiving stolen goods. T/F

Answer 1

Evidence obtained through illegal means by a private citizen, such as breaking into a home and taking television sets, is likely not admissible in court due to Fourth Amendment protections.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question concerns whether television sets taken from a neighbor's house without permission and found to be stolen can be used as evidence against the neighbor in a trial for receiving stolen goods. This situation brings up issues surrounding legal searches and the admissibility of evidence. The man's actions constitute a break-in and are illegal; regardless of the intent, his evidence collection methods would be considered a violation of the neighbor's Fourth Amendment rights against unlawful search and seizure. Therefore, because the evidence was obtained illegally by a private citizen, it may not be admissible in court.