Provides for warrantless searches of motor vehicles if the vehicle is mobile and there is probable cause:

• A. Carroll Doctrine
• B. Automobile Exception
• C. Plain View Doctrine
• D. Exigent Circumstances

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that a motor vehicle can be searched without a warrant when there is probable cause to believe it contains contraband, because the vehicle’s mobility makes obtaining a warrant impractical. This rule originates from Carroll v. United States, which recognized that vehicles on public roads can be quickly moved, so police may conduct a warrantless search if probable cause exists. Over time this concept is often called the automobile exception, highlighting the same principle in modern practice. The key is that there must be probable cause to believe contraband is present, and the search can extend to the vehicle and its compartments. The other doctrines don’t fit as well: plain view requires lawful access and seeing evidence in plain sight, and exigent circumstances involve urgent situations, not the general rule based on a vehicle’s mobility with probable cause.