Which legal case established the plain feel doctrine?

• A. State v. Johnson
• B. Minnesota v. Dickerson
• C. Terry v. Ohio
• D. Katz v. United States

Answer: (B)

The plain feel doctrine comes from the way a lawful stop-and-frisk can unfold in practice. Under a Terry stop, officers may briefly pat down a person to check for weapons if they have reasonable suspicion. The plain feel rule then says that if during that permissible pat-down the officer immediately recognizes a seized object as contraband by touch, the object can be seized—without further manipulation. If the officer must move or squeeze the item to determine what it is, that goes beyond what Terry allows and the seizure isn’t allowed. Minnesota v. Dickerson established this rule, clarifying that only items that are plainly identifiable by touch at that moment may be seized. This case builds on Terry by specifying how and when a suspect’s belongings found during a frisk can be lawfully kept. (For contrast, Katz v. United States deals with privacy expectations in electronic communications, and the other options don’t establish the plain feel doctrine.)