Which action is not permitted under the plain touch/feel doctrine?

The plain touch/feel doctrine allows law enforcement officers to seize items discovered through tactile investigation during lawful encounters, such as stops or searches, when they have probable cause to believe the item is contraband. The key aspect of this doctrine is that the officer must have lawful access to the area where they are conducting the touch/feel search, and it must be immediately apparent that the item is contraband based on its texture or weight.

Manipulation of objects goes beyond what is permitted under this doctrine. This is primarily because manipulation implies additional handling or examination to determine the nature of the object, which could raise issues about the legality of the search. Law enforcement is permitted to feel and identify evidence, but if they manipulate the object to confirm their suspicion, that may fall outside the scope of the plain touch/feel doctrine.

Inspection of items, observation of evidence, and seizure of contraband align with the doctrine's principles, as they do not involve exceeding the bounds of what is legally allowed during a search based solely on tactile confirmation.