Which warrant exception addresses urgent situations where evidence could be lost or destroyed?

• A. Exigent circumstances.
• B. Consent.
• C. Automobile exception.
• D. Plain view doctrine.

Answer: (A)

Exigent circumstances cover situations where police must act immediately to prevent evidence from being destroyed or to address an imminent risk to safety. The key idea is that obtaining a warrant would take too long and the delay could cause the loss of crucial evidence, so a warrantless search or seizure is allowed if the urgency is reasonable and the actions are limited to what’s necessary to deal with the emergency.

Consent involves permission from a person with authority and isn’t tied to urgency or the risk of losing evidence. The automobile exception rests on the practicality of searching a movable vehicle with probable cause, not specifically on preserving evidence in a time-pressured moment. The plain view doctrine allows seizing readily observable evidence during a lawful intrusion, but it doesn’t address urgent preservation of evidence in a time-sensitive situation.