Opinion ID: 540159
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Scope of the Warrant

Text: 31 During the search of Jenkins' residence, agents found a green C & S bag containing $300.00 cash and three letters from Jenkins' mortgage company. Agents found the bag in the top dresser drawer in Jenkins' master bedroom. Jenkins argues that the seizure of this bag exceeded the scope of the search warrant because, unlike the other items seized, the C & S bag was not described in the warrant. We disagree. 32 The Fourth Amendment requires that a warrant particularly describe the place to be searched and the items or persons to be seized; exploratory rummaging is prohibited. United States v. Fannin, 817 F.2d 1379, 1382 (9th Cir.1987). Only items described in the search warrant may be seized. United States v. Bills, 555 F.2d 1250, 1251 (5th Cir.1977); United States v. Johnson, 713 F.2d 654, 660 (11th Cir.1983), cert. denied, 465 U.S. 1030, 104 S.Ct. 1295, 79 L.Ed.2d 695 (1984). An exception to this rule occurs when in the course of performing a lawful search for an item listed on the warrant, the officers come across other articles of an incriminatory character.... Johnson, 713 F.2d at 660. In such a case, the property may be seized under the plain view doctrine. Id. To justify application of the plain view doctrine, the seizing officer must (1) have independent justification for being in a position to see the items; (2) must discover the items inadvertently; and (3) must immediately observe that the items are evidence. United States v. Blum, 753 F.2d 999, 1002 (11th Cir.1985) (citing Coolidge v. New Hampshire, 403 U.S. 443, 91 S.Ct. 2022, 29 L.Ed.2d 564 (1971)). The officers must have probable cause to believe the items are evidence of the crime. Arizona v. Hicks, 480 U.S. 321, 326, 107 S.Ct. 1149, 1153, 94 L.Ed.2d 347 (1987). 33 We conclude that the C & S bag and the letters were properly seized under the plain view doctrine. The warrant described numerous bank bags, stock certificates, checks, and bills. It listed the categories of documents and items sought. See Fannin, 817 F.2d at 1383. Due to the nature of the crime and the items taken, the officers had probable cause to believe that the C & S bag or papers inside the bag might have been stolen. It was certainly reasonable for the officers to search for such items in the drawers of the master bedroom; a search may be as extensive as reasonably required to locate the items described in the warrant. United States v. Wuagneux, 683 F.2d 1343, 1352 (11th Cir.1982), cert. denied, 464 U.S. 814, 104 S.Ct. 69, 78 L.Ed.2d 83 (1983). Similarly, because the officers were searching for small paper items such as bills and stock certificates, it was reasonable for them to look inside the C & S bag. Once the officers saw the Barclays letters, they realized that the letters were evidence of motive, and seized them for that purpose. The search did not exceed the scope of the warrant.