An informant tells an officer that patrons of a certain public bar sometimes do lines of cocaine on the tables set in alcoves. If the officer wants to gather some minute grains of cocaine from one of the tables as corroboration of the information, the officer will _____.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The officer can seize the cocaine from the table without a warrant because it is in plain view and the officer has probable cause to believe it is evidence of a crime. The open fields doctrine does not apply to private areas where the public has no right to access, such as alcoves in a public bar. An administrative warrant is not necessary in this situation. The curtilage does not apply to areas like alcoves in a public bar.

An Informant Tells an Officer That Patrons of a Certain