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LSDefine
Simple English definitions for legal terms
Plain Feel Doctrine
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A quick definition of Plain Feel Doctrine:
The plain feel doctrine is a rule that allows police officers to take things they feel during a pat-down search if they think the things are illegal. If the officer can immediately tell that the thing they feel is evidence, they can use it in court. For example, if they touch a container and can tell by the touch that it might have evidence inside, they can open it.
A more thorough explanation:
The plain feel doctrine is a rule that allows police officers to seize objects during a pat-down search if they reasonably believe the objects to be contraband. This means that if an officer feels something during a search and thinks it might be illegal, they can take it.
For example, if an officer is patting down a suspect and feels a small baggie in their pocket, they can take it if they believe it contains drugs. The officer doesn't need to see the drugs to take them, they just need to feel the baggie and have a reasonable belief that it contains something illegal.
The plain feel doctrine is similar to the plain view doctrine, which allows officers to seize objects that are in plain view during a search. Both doctrines allow officers to seize evidence without a warrant if they have a reasonable belief that the evidence is illegal.