Answer :
Final answer:
The key concept in determining the scope of a frisk search is A) Reasonable suspicion. It allows police to stop and frisk a person for weapons if they suspect that person is armed and dangerous, which differs from the more demanding standard of probable cause. Therefore, the correct answar is A) Reasonable suspicion
Explanation:
The key concept in determining the scope of a frisk search is A) Reasonable suspicion. According to the landmark Supreme Court case Terry v. Ohio, police may stop a person if they have reasonable suspicion that the person has committed, or is about to commit, a crime.
Furthermore, they may frisk the suspect for weapons if they have a reasonable suspicion that the suspect is armed and dangerous, without violating the Fourth Amendment.
This standard is less strict than probable cause, which is required for most other searches and is based on a higher likelihood that evidence of a crime will be found.
Contrastingly, exigent circumstances may allow searches without a warrant if there is a risk that evidence could be destroyed, but this does not apply to the initial scope of a frisk. Plain view doctrine also doesn't dictate the scope of a frisk but allows officers to seize items without a warrant if they are immediately apparent as evidence or contraband.
