§ 1240 Officer exceeding his authority.

Here's a plain English summary of this rule.

If a police officer is carrying out a search warrant and goes beyond what the warrant actually allows, they've broken the law. The same is true if the officer uses more force or harshness than necessary while searching. Either action counts as a misdemeanor.

This rule exists to keep officers within the limits of what a judge approved when the warrant was issued. A search warrant only gives police permission to search specific places for specific things. If an officer searches areas not covered by the warrant, or treats people roughly without good reason, they can be criminally charged for it.

This protects people from officers who misuse their power during a search. It means the officer's authority has real limits, and stepping outside those limits has consequences.