Marion mayor defends police in newspaper raid: ‘I’m not sure exactly what they did wrong’

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#MarionKansas #MarionKS #Marion #PressFreedom #Kansas #Midwest #KS #KSPol #WichitaKS #WichitaKansas #IndependentJournalism

Read more at: https://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article278775244.html#storylink=cpy
https://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article278775244.html?taid=64f38ae825b3120001dad921

Sharing YouTube playlist for Aug. 2023 police raid of #MarionCountyRecord newspaper office and #MarionKansas homes of co-owners, reporter and vice mayor.
#KansasShieldLaw
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJgHg9KKmcWCFoSpaBcBxZeW2KNLTbPv5

The Raid on the ‘Marion County Record’ Is Only the Beginning
Allison Hantschel, DAME
Aug 22, 2023
The Right's war on the fourth estate is nothing new. But when cops raided a rural Kansas newspaper office and its editors’ homes over an investigation in progress, a new horrifying precedent was set.
https://www.damemagazine.com/2023/08/22/the-raid-on-the-marion-daily-record-is-only-the-beginning/
#MarionCountyRecord #MarionKansas

On Washington Journal this morning discusses the police raid of a newspaper office in Kansas, which may have violated the US Constitution and federal law and certainly undermines our democracy which relies on freedom of the press. Caller also brought attention to Wausau Wisconsin, where a GOP Lawmaker Is Suing the Newspaper Into bankruptcy for reporting on his homophobic slur. #cspanwj #politics #USpolitics #MarionKansas #WausauWisconsin #freedomofthepress

Judge who approved raid on Kansas newspaper has history of DUI arrests
Story by Chance Swaim, The Wichita Eagle
Judge Laura Viar, who was appointed on Jan. 1 to fill a vacant 8th Judicial District magistrate seat, was arrested at least twice for DUI in two different Kansas counties in 2012...

The first arrest — in Coffey County... southeast of her home in Council Grove, on Jan. 25, 2012 — has not been reported.

#JudgeViar #LauraViar #LauraAllen #MarionKansas #CoffeyCounty #WichitaEagle

Newsroom raids are rare in the United States, said Lynn Oberlander, a First Amendment attorney.

"It's very rare because it's illegal," Oberlander said. "It doesn't happen very often because most organizations understand that it's illegal."

https://www.npr.org/2023/08/14/1193676139/newspaper-marion-county-kansas-police-raid-first-amendment

#MarionKansas #NPR #MarionCountyRecord

This should be a shocking story. Unfortunately, feels kind of on point.

"What has remained unreported until now is that, prior to the raids, the newspaper had been actively investigating Gideon Cody, Chief of Police for the city of Marion. They’d received multiple tips alleging he’d retired from his previous job to avoid demotion and punishment over alleged sexual misconduct charges."

https://thehandbasket.substack.com/p/a-conversation-with-the-newspaper

#MarionKansas #MarionCountyRecord #KansasPress

(14 Aug) - Police questioned over legality of Kansas newspaper raid in which computers, phones seized https://apnews.com/article/marion-kansas-newspaper-raid-aca057365ea3925328a69acd615c9893 #KansasNewspaperRaid #PoliceQuestioned #LegalityOfRaid #ComputersSeized #PhonesSeized #MarionKansas #Politics #News https://mastodon.sdf.org/@uspolitics/110888351057176789

Police questioned over legality of Kansas newspaper raid in which computers, phones seized

https://apnews.com/article/marion-kansas-newspaper-raid-aca057365ea3925328a69acd615c9893

#KansasNewspaperRaid #PoliceQuestioned #LegalityOfRaid #ComputersSeized #PhonesSeized #MarionKansas #Politics #News

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/13/marion-county-record-co-owner-joan-meyer-dies-kansas-police-raid?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

#Kansas #MarionKansas #FirstAmendment #PressFreedom

@Voline
#MarionKansas side dramas:
a) councilwoman Ruth Herbel was "skeptical" about hiring ex-KC cop captain Cody
b) after Cody in his new job, #MarionCountyRecord got some tips suggesting Cody fled that job due to sexual misconduct charges
c) mayor and treasurer's family part of sus recall campaign vs Herbel https://ballotpedia.org/Ruth_Herbel_recall,_Marion,_Kansas_(2023)

#Timeline breakdown: Marion police raid newspaper office, owner’s home https://www.kwch.com/2023/08/14/timeline-breakdown-marion-police-raid-newspaper-office-owners-home/
#MarionKansas #MarionCountyRecord

NYT: Raid of Small Kansas Newspaper Raises Free Press Concerns
The search of the Marion County Record led to the seizure of computers, servers and cellphones of reporters and editors... tip came after a meet-and-greet on Aug. 2 for congressman Jake LaTurner, at Kari’s Kitchen, owned by Kari Newell... asked the police chief to remove Mr. Meyer and a reporter, Phyllis Zorn, from the event, saying that she did not want them to attend.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/13/business/media/kansas-marion-newspaper-police-raid.html
#MarionCountyRecord #MarionKansas