Law enforcement and cellphone searches

[Commentary] California State Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) introduced a bill to overturn the Supreme Court's decision and require officers to secure a warrant, based on a showing of probable cause, before they search a phone.

Leno's bill, SB 914, intelligently balances the needs of police with the historic limitations on their power to search; it has passed the Senate and deserves approval by the Assembly as well. People of varying politics should recognize the value of strong, clear rules to guide the actions of police. Libertarians no less than liberals should see that it serves no one to have police allowed the authority to snoop without guidance from the courts. Police are not allowed to search a suspect's house or his computer without probable cause, and there's no reason why they should be allowed to search his cell phone.