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The plain view doctrine allows law enforcement officers to seize evidence of a crime without a warrant if certain criteria are met. A crucial element of this doctrine is that the evidence must be immediately apparent as criminal. This means that, upon encountering the item in plain view while lawfully present at the location, the officer must recognize it as contraband or evidence of a crime without needing to conduct any further investigation or rummaging through the area.

For the doctrine to apply, the officer must be in a position where they have the legal right to be present—this might be during a lawful arrest or while executing a search warrant. However, the key factor emphasized here is the immediate recognition of the criminal nature of the evidence. If the officer cannot identify the item as criminal without additional context or information, then the plain view doctrine does not apply, and the evidence cannot be lawfully seized.

In contrasting this with the other options, it's notable that physical seizure is not required for the plain view doctrine but underscores that the officer must have the authority to seize once the evidence is recognized. Invitation to the property and prior knowledge of the property owner are not necessary components of the doctrine as it focuses on what the officer can see rather than the circumstances of their presence.