What does the plain view doctrine allow during a lawful search?

The plain view doctrine allows law enforcement officers to seize items that are not linked to the underlying warrant as long as they are in plain view during a lawful search. This legal principle is grounded in the idea that if an officer is lawfully present in a location and observes evidence of a crime or contraband that is immediately recognizable, they can seize that evidence without a warrant.

For the plain view doctrine to apply, three criteria must be met: the officer must be lawfully present in the location where the evidence is observed, the evidence must be in plain view, and the incriminating nature of the evidence must be immediately apparent to the officer. As such, this doctrine provides law enforcement with flexibility during searches, enabling them to act on evidence that comes to their attention inadvertently but is clearly associated with criminal activity.

In the context of this question, while choices concerning items specifically listed in a warrant or items just categorized as "any" would suggest limitations, the essence of the plain view doctrine is broader, allowing for the seizure of items that are not directly associated with a warrant but are still clearly identifiable as contraband or evidence.