Calandra Rule Law and Legal Definition
A Calandra rule refers to a legal principle compelling a witness to answer questions relating to certain items. The rule obliges a witness to answer regarding certain items in spite of the fact that those items were obtained illegally by the police. The Calandra rule was developed from the Supreme Court case, United States v. Calandra, 414 U.S. 338 (U.S. 1974).
The prime purpose of the Calandra rule is to deter future unlawful police conduct and thereby effectuate the guarantee of the Fourth Amendment against unreasonable searches and seizures.[State v. White, 660 So. 2d 664, 666 (Fla. 1995)]. Hence, the Calandra rule operates as a judicially created remedy designed to generally safeguard Fourth Amendment rights through its deterrent effect, rather than to defend the personal constitutional rights of the aggrieved party.
