What does "plain view discovery" allow law enforcement to do?

"Plain view discovery" is a legal doctrine that allows law enforcement officers to seize evidence of a crime without a warrant, provided they are lawfully present in the location where the evidence is found, and the evidence is immediately apparent as being related to criminal activity. This concept is grounded in the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable searches and seizures.

For law enforcement to act under plain view doctrine, two key conditions must be met: first, the officer must be in a place where they have a lawful right to be, and second, the incriminating nature of the evidence must be immediately obvious. This means that if an officer is conducting a legal stop or is in a home with consent or a warrant, and they spot illegal items or evidence of a crime without needing to manipulate or further inspect the surroundings, they are allowed to seize that evidence.

In contrast, other options present scenarios that either exceed or do not align with the stipulations of plain view. For instance, searching and detaining individuals at will (as described in one of the choices) is not permissible under the Fourth Amendment, which requires reasonable suspicion or probable cause. Conducting searches without a warrant is also not allowable unless specific exceptions apply, of which plain view is one but only