Mission Impossible? Challenging Police Credibility in Suppression Motions

Suppression motions are the means by which defendants challenge constitutionality of stops, searches, and seizures, move court to exclude illegally recovered evidence. However, face insurmountable obstacles in challenging police credibility these motions. Using 31 with factual disputes from a northeastern state, we dissect types defense challenges related arrests, as well prevalence corroborating evidence presented defense. We find that most not corroborated, prior misconduct is presented. Furthermore, judges typically rule favor when adjudicating uncorroborated between officers defendants. As result, suppression generally fail serve an accountability structure for conduct rarely provide viable remedy address rights violations.