The “plain view” doctrine of the Fourth Amendment holds that law enforcement properly authorized to be in a certain area can lawfully search and seize evidence seen in plain view from that vantage point.

It is seen as an “exception” to the Fourth Amendment because, under it, searches and seizures are authorized not by judicial power, but by limited circumstances. Typically, the doctrine comes into play when a law enforcement officer is doing something anyone can do, such as driving down a public street, or taking intermediate, investigative steps only law enforcement officers are empowered to do, such as stopping a vehicle on suspicion of having ignored a stop sign.

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