Under the NEXUS RULE, when may officers seize items not listed in the warrant?

The NEXUS RULE allows law enforcement officers to seize items not explicitly listed in a warrant when those items are discovered during a lawful search for evidence that is listed in the warrant. This principle is grounded in the idea that while a warrant must specify what can be searched for and seized, if officers encounter evidence of a crime that is in plain view and linked to the items they are searching for, they are permitted to seize those items without a separate warrant. This enhances the effectiveness of law enforcement operations while still adhering to the legal standards set by the Fourth Amendment regarding searches and seizures.

In this context, if officers have already entered a location under the authority of a warrant to search for specific items, and they come across other items that could be relevant to the investigation, they can seize those items without breaching legal protocols. The determination of lawful search is crucial; the search must be within the confines of the scope of the warrant and comply with the requirements of probable cause.

Other choices will not provide the same legal basis for seizing items. Items merely being in a public area does not justify their seizure under the NEXUS RULE, as this context speaks to visibility rather than relevance to an existing investigation. Similarly, probable cause alone without a lawful