Under the plain view doctrine, which condition must be met for seizure without a warrant to be valid?

• A. The officer must have probable cause to believe the object is contraband.
• B. The object must be in plain view and the officer must be lawfully present.
• C. The officer must obtain a search warrant.
• D. The object must be in a location the officer owns.

Answer: (C)

The key idea is the plain view exception to the warrant requirement. For seizure without a warrant to be valid, the officer must be lawfully present at the location and the item must be in plain view, with its incriminating nature immediately apparent as contraband or evidence. When those conditions are met, no warrant is needed to seize what is plainly seen. Requiring a warrant contradicts how plain view operates. An option that only mentions probable cause or ownership of the location misses the essential elements, and the one that mentions obtaining a warrant goes against the plain view rule. The important takeaway is lawful presence and the object being plainly visible with its incriminating character immediately evident.