ID: The exclusionary rule does not apply in civil child protection cases

The exclusionary rule does not apply in child protection cases (citing a lot of cases from various jurisdictions). Idaho Dep’t of Health & Welfare v. Doe, 244 P.3d 247 (Idaho App. 2010).

Defendant’s implied consent was still valid despite the officer’s comment that if she didn’t comply with giving a breath test, a blood test would occur. State v. Leclercq, 149 Idaho 905, 243 P.3d 1093 (App. 2010)*:

Here, Trooper DeBie informed LeClercq of his intention to obtain a blood draw should she refuse to comply with the breath test. The unpleasantness of the available options did not render the officer’s statement coercive. The magistrate determined that while the officer’s use of the word “force” to describe what would happen if LeClercq refused the breath test was troubling, under the totality of the circumstances, the officer’s actions were permissible. Informing a suspect that refusal of a breath test will result in a “forcible” blood draw may not be an advisable practice. However, Trooper DeBie’s statement, in light of all of the circumstances, did not amount to coercion such that it rendered LeClercq’s implied consent involuntary.

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