James v. Illinois

The impeachment exception to the exclusionary rule permits the prosecution in a criminal proceeding to introduce il*309legally obtained evidence to impeach the defendant’s own testimony. The Illinois Supreme Court extended this exception to permit the prosecution to impeach the testimony of all defense witnesses with illegally obtained evidence. 123 Ill. 2d 523, 528 N. E. 2d 723 (1988). Finding this extension inconsistent with the balance of values underlying our previous applications of the exclusionary rule, we reverse.

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On the night of August 30, 1982, eight young boys returning home from a…