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The Title 28 of the United States Code QUESTION #3731
Question 1
Police have a warrant to search a house for a stolen 60-inch television. During the search, an officer opens a small jewelry box on a nightstand and finds illegal drugs. Is the search of the jewelry box legal?
  • Yes, because they had a search warrant for the house.
  • No, because a 60-inch television could not possibly be inside a small jewelry box.✔️
  • Yes, under the 'Plain View' doctrine.
  • No, unless they had probable cause to believe drugs were there.
Correct Answer Explanation
A search warrant only allows police to search in areas where the items listed in the warrant could reasonably be found. A large TV cannot be in a small jewelry box, so searching there exceeds the scope of the warrant.