An officer obtains a search warrant from a neutral magistrate based on probable cause. After serving and seizing the items named, a technical error is found in the warrant. What happens to the seized article relative to evidence in the case?

Prepare for the Search and Seizure Module 10 Test with comprehensive flashcards and multiple choice questions, complete with hints and explanations. Get ready to excel in your exam!

The good-faith exception to the exclusionary rule is what's at play. When police obtain a warrant from a neutral magistrate based on probable cause and rely on it in executing a search, the resulting evidence is typically admissible even if later a technical defect is found in the warrant. The key is that the officers acted reasonably and believed the warrant was valid. Here, the warrant was supported by probable cause and issued by a neutral magistrate, and the officers followed it to seize the named items. A technical error doesn’t automatically render the seizure invalid or require suppression, unless the defect is so serious that no reasonable officer would rely on the warrant (for example, no probable cause on its face, or deliberate deception by the affidavits). So the seized article remains admissible as evidence.