Final answer:
Mapp v. Ohio was a 1961 Supreme Court case establishing that evidence obtained through illegal searches under the Fourth Amendment cannot be used in state courts, strengthening the exclusionary rule.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Mapp v. Ohio case is a landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that advanced the protection against unreasonable searches and seizures, as laid out in the Fourth Amendment. In this 1961 case, evidence obtained from an illegal search of Dollree Mapp's home was deemed inadmissible in state court. This case reinforced the exclusionary rule, an essential component of search and seizure laws, ensuring that evidence collected unlawfully cannot be used in court against a defendant. The ruling emphasized the importance of constitutional protections and bolstered the privacy rights of individuals against governmental intrusion.