Which of the following is NOT a criterion for the plain view exception to the search warrant requirement?

The plain view exception allows law enforcement officers to seize evidence without a warrant if certain criteria are met. One of these criteria is that the officer must be legally on the premises, ensuring that any discovery made is legitimate. Additionally, the incriminating nature of the item must be immediately apparent, meaning that the officer must have probable cause to believe the item is evidence of a crime at the moment they observe it. The officers also must have a lawful right of access to the object to be able to seize it.

The assertion that an item must be temporarily concealed is not accurate within the context of the plain view doctrine. For evidence to be seized under this exception, the item does not need to be concealed; it merely needs to be visible to the officer legally present in the area. Therefore, the lack of necessity for the item to be temporarily concealed correctly identifies that option as unrelated to the established criteria for the plain view exception.