-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Florida judge Friday handed a legal victory to a former astronaut accused of assaulting a romantic rival , ruling evidence found in her car and statements she made to police after her arrest were inadmissible at trial . Lisa Nowak , accused of using pepper spray against a romantic rival , is set to go on trial in April . Ninth Judicial Circuit Judge Marc Lubet ruled that all were unlawfully obtained . He said his decision stemmed from a variety of factors , most concerning police tactics in their interview of Lisa Nowak and the fact that no written consent was obtained to search her car . `` In each and every case , this court must ensure that the constitutional protections afforded by our forefathers are scrupulously honored , '' Lubet wrote in his opinion . `` Unfortunately , in this case those protections were not as thoroughly followed as the law demands . '' Nowak , 44 , is accused of stalking Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman and using pepper spray against her in a parking lot at Orlando International Airport in Florida on February 5 . She pleaded not guilty March 22 to charges of attempted kidnapping with intent to inflict bodily harm , battery and burglary of a vehicle using a weapon . Her trial is set for April . If convicted , she would face a sentence of up to life in prison . Her defense attorneys had claimed Nowak 's comments to police and her consent to search her car were made under duress . During a hearing held in August , Lubet heard testimony from , among others , Nowak , Shipman and Orlando police detective William Becton , who interviewed Nowak after her arrest . Lubet said in his ruling that when Nowak asked Becton if she needed an attorney during the interview , he failed to answer her question in a `` simple and straightforward manner . '' `` There was a concerted effort to minimize and downplay the significance of the Miranda rights by referring to these constitutional rights as ` formalities ' '' during the interview , Lubet wrote . On the audiotape of the interview , there was no audible response from Nowak on whether she understood that her statements could be used against her in court , and when she was asked whether anyone had threatened or promised her anything to get her to talk to police , Lubet wrote . `` Thus , there is nothing in either the audio recording or the transcript of the interview that demonstrates that defendant understood these two rights and waived them . '' Nowak testified at the August hearing she did not respond to Becton 's questions because she was confused , Lubet wrote . In addition , he said , Becton used `` legally impermissible '' statements and techniques , including threats , to get Nowak 's statements and consent . `` Well , what you say can change what you 're charged with , '' Becton said at one point . `` Right now we 're looking at -LSB- a -RSB- possible life felony of carjacking . '' In a written statement , an Orlando Police Department spokeswoman said it was inappropriate for the department to comment on the case since it is pending in court , and referred questions to prosecutors . Lubet noted that , although Nowak was given the opportunity to use the restroom and was asked if she wanted something to eat , she was `` subjected to a barrage of questions '' beginning in the predawn hours and was questioned for six hours without being given the opportunity to sleep or make a phone call . `` Defendant had not slept during the preceding 24 hours , '' the judge said . Nowak 's consent to search her car , Lubet wrote , `` followed illegal police activity , such as a prolonged detention , threats to obtain a warrant and repeated requests for consent . '' Prosecutors accuse Nowak of driving nearly 900 miles from Houston to Orlando -- wearing NASA diapers to cut down on the number of stops she needed to make -- and donning a disguise before following Shipman from baggage claim to a parking lot . Her attorney has strongly denied that she wore the diapers . Shipman told police that after she got into her car , Nowak feigned distress and knocked on the window . When Shipman cracked it to talk to her , Nowak sprayed her in the face with pepper spray , Shipman said . Police said Nowak was detained as she was disposing of her disguise in an airport trash bin . Nowak has said she merely went to the airport to talk to Shipman , who had begun dating Nowak 's former love interest , Navy Cmdr. Bill Oefelein , who was also an astronaut but has since left the astronaut corps . At the August hearing , Becton testified that when he searched Nowak 's car , he found maps showing how to reach the airport , maps of the airport 's layout , a buck knife and papers including a letter Nowak appeared to have written to Oefelein 's mother . He also testified he found used and clean diapers in the car . Police previously said they also found a BB gun , a steel mallet , a 4-inch knife and rubber tubing in the vehicle . Nowak 's attorneys in August filed a notice of intent to rely on an insanity defense , saying in court documents her diagnoses include a litany of more than a dozen psychiatric disorders . On August 30 , Lubet granted Nowak 's attorneys ' request that her electronic tracking ankle bracelet be removed . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Cristy Lenz contributed to this report .