Which of the following is an example of the inevitable discovery exception?

• A. Good-faith exception.
• B. Independent source.
• C. Harmless error.
• D. Inevitable discovery.

Answer: (D)

The inevitable discovery rule lets evidence obtained through an unlawful action still be used if the same evidence would have been discovered anyway through lawful means. It requires showing, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the discovery would have happened regardless of the illegal conduct—not just that it could have happened.

For example, if police illegally obtain a lead that prompts a search, but there is strong, ongoing lawful investigation that would inevitably uncover the same weapon or location, the evidence can be admitted because its discovery was inevitable.

This differs from other concepts: the good-faith exception applies when officers reasonably rely on a presumably valid warrant; the independent source exception applies when the evidence is discovered through a separate, lawful source; and harmless error focuses on whether an error affected the trial’s outcome. The inevitable discovery rule centers on the certainty that the evidence would have been found through lawful means anyway.