Under which doctrine may an officer seize an object during a pat-down if its contour or mass indicates contraband?

• A. Plain view doctrine
• B. Plain touch/feel doctrine
• C. Rubric doctrine
• D. Search incident to arrest doctrine

Answer: (B)

During a lawful pat-down for weapons, an officer may seize an object if its contour or mass unmistakably indicates it is contraband through the sense of touch. This is the plain touch/feel doctrine, recognized in Minnesota v. Dickerson. The important point is that the item must be immediately identifiable as contraband by touch, without the need for a search or extensive manipulation beyond the pat-down itself. If the item isn’t clearly contraband by touch, the officer must not seize it. This differs from plain view, which involves objects seen in plain sight during a lawful encounter; here the identification comes from feeling, not seeing. The other options don’t fit because they describe different doctrines or situations (for example, plain view, which relies on sight; and search incident to arrest, which follows an arrest, not a street stop for a frisk).