A guest checked out of a hotel. While the staff was cleaning it for the next guest, they discovered jewelry that had been reported stolen by another guest. Will the evidence be suppressed?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The evidence will not be suppressed because the innkeeper was entitled to have employees clean the room following check-out by the guest. This falls under the plain view doctrine, which allows law enforcement to seize evidence that is in plain view and obtained lawfully. In this case, the staff had a lawful reason to be in the room to perform their cleaning duties and they discovered the jewelry in plain view.

A Guest Checked Out of a Hotel