Which legal case established the plain feel doctrine?

• A. Terry v. Ohio
• B. Miranda v. Arizona
• C. Graham v. Connor
• D. Mapp v. Ohio

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is how far a lawful stop-and-frisk can go when the officer feels an object during a pat-down. Terry v. Ohio allows a police officer to stop a person and conduct a limited frisk for weapons if there’s reasonable suspicion. The plain feel doctrine, which specifies that contraband can be seized if its criminal nature is immediately recognizable by touch, was established in Minnesota v. Dickerson (1993). This means that during a lawful frisk, if the officer can tell by touch that an object is contraband, it can be seized without a warrant; if not obviously contraband, the officer should not manipulate the item further. The other listed cases cover different Fourth Amendment or procedural issues: Miranda deals with interrogation rights, Graham with use of force, and Mapp with the exclusionary rule.