When an officer is conducting a frisk search the officer is seeking to find

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Multiple Choice

When an officer is conducting a frisk search the officer is seeking to find

During a stop-and-frisk, the officer is allowed to perform a quick pat-down to check for weapons in order to ensure immediate safety. This protective search must be narrowly focused on sensing weapons in the outer clothing and is justified by the suspect’s implied threat if they may be armed. It isn’t a general search for drugs, stolen goods, or other contraband; those would require different legal justifications. If the officer feels a weapon, it can be taken for safety; if an item is not a weapon, it can only be seized if its nature as contraband is immediately apparent under the plain-feel doctrine. Therefore, what the officer is seeking to find during a frisk is weapons.

During a stop-and-frisk, the officer is allowed to perform a quick pat-down to check for weapons in order to ensure immediate safety. This protective search must be narrowly focused on sensing weapons in the outer clothing and is justified by the suspect’s implied threat if they may be armed. It isn’t a general search for drugs, stolen goods, or other contraband; those would require different legal justifications. If the officer feels a weapon, it can be taken for safety; if an item is not a weapon, it can only be seized if its nature as contraband is immediately apparent under the plain-feel doctrine. Therefore, what the officer is seeking to find during a frisk is weapons.

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