Under the plain touch/feel doctrine, when can an officer seize an object?

The plain touch/feel doctrine allows law enforcement officers to seize objects that they can identify through the sense of touch during an immediate encounter where they are legally permitted to be. This doctrine is an extension of the plain view doctrine but applies when an officer can clearly identify the nature of an object simply by feeling it, which suggests that the object might be contraband.

In this context, when the contour of an object indicates it may be contraband, it means the officer can reasonably conclude, based on their training and experience, that the object is something illegal or dangerous just by touching it. This principle aligns with the notion that if an officer is in a lawful position and encounters something that is immediately recognizable as illegal, they are permitted to confiscate it without a warrant.

Other choices do not meet the criteria set by the plain touch/feel doctrine. For instance, an object being out of reach does not affect an officer's ability to ascertain its nature through touch, and items appearing valuable or consent granted for a search pertain to different legal principles and do not specifically relate to the tactile identification of contraband.