Which doctrine allows evidence discovered by the sense of touch during a lawful frisk to be seized?

• A. Stop and Frisk Doctrine
• B. Reasonable Search Doctrine
• C. Plain Feel Doctrine
• D. Plain View Doctrine

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is that during a lawful stop and frisk, officers may seize items revealed by the sense of touch if their incriminating nature is immediately apparent. This is the Plain Feel Doctrine. It allows a pat-down for weapons to extend to contraband when the object’s identity is obvious to the officer from the initial touch, without the need for further manipulation or investigation. If the officer would need to squeeze, move, or inspect the item beyond what touch reveals to determine what it is, the plain feel rule doesn’t apply.

Plain View involves recognizing evidence by sight during a lawful search, not by touch. The Stop and Frisk Doctrine describes the general practice of stopping someone and patting them down for weapons, not the specific rule about seizing tactile evidence. The Reasonable Search Doctrine is a broader concept about searches under probable cause or exigent circumstances, not the tactile, immediately apparent identification during a frisk.