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Police face criticism over central Kansas newspaper raid in which computers, phones seized
ByJOHN HANNA and MARGERY A. BECK Associated Press
August 13, 2023, 3:02 PM
. . . The Marion County Record said in its own published reports that police raided the newspaper’s office on Friday, seizing the newspaper’s computers, phones and file server and the personal cellphones of staff, based on a search warrant.
. . . Police simultaneously raided the home of Eric Meyer, the newspaper’s publisher and co-owner, seizing computers, his cellphone and the home’s internet router, Meyer said. Meyer's 98-year-old mother — Record co-owner Joan Meyer, who lived in the home with her son — collapsed and died Saturday, Meyer said, blaming her death on the stress of the raid of her home.
Meyer said he believes the raid was prompted by a story published last week about a local restaurant owner, Kari Newell. Newell had police remove Meyer and a newspaper reporter from her restaurant early this month, who were there to cover a public reception for U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner, a Republican representing the area.
. . . The next week at a city council meeting, Newell publicly accused the newspaper of using illegal means to get information on the status of her driver's license following a 2008 drunken driving conviction and other driving violations. The newspaper countered that it received that information unsolicited, which it verified through public online records. It eventually decided not to run a story, because it wasn’t sure the source who supplied it had obtained it legally. But the newspaper did run a story on the city council meeting, in which Newell herself confirmed she'd had a DUI conviction and that she had continued to drive even after her license was suspended.
. . . A two-page search warrant, signed by a local judge, lists Newell as the victim of alleged crimes by the newspaper. When the newspaper asked for a copy of the probable cause affidavit required by law to issue a search warrant, the district court issued a signed statement saying no such affidavit was on file, the Record reported.
Newell declined to comment Sunday, saying she was too busy to speak. She said she would call back later Sunday to answer questions.
Cody, the police chief, defended the raid on Sunday, saying in an email to The Associated Press that while federal law usually requires a subpoena — not just a search warrant — to raid a newsroom, there is an exception “when there is reason to believe the journalist is taking part in the underlying wrongdoing.”
Legal experts contacted by the Record termed the raid unheard of in America and reminiscent of what occurs in totalitarian regimes and the Third World.
The Record is expected to file a federal suit against the City of Marion and those involved in the search, which legal experts contacted were unanimous in saying violated multiple state and federal laws, including the U.S. Constitution, and multiple court rulings.
originally posted by: MichiganSwampBuck
From what I understand is that this Newell woman who owns a local restaurant, who has clout with politicians and the local city council, accused the newspaper of obtaining information on her, concerning a DUI, through illegal means. She did this at a council meeting and got the city council to have a judge order the raid conducted by the city police. The newspaper received the information from a source and then checked it out with public records and did a report based on the public records. To me, it sounds like they were set up by this Newell person and the city council basically.
. It eventually decided not to run a story because it wasn’t sure the source who supplied it had obtained it legally. But the newspaper did run a story on the city council meeting, in which Newell herself confirmed she'd had a DUI conviction and that she had continued to drive even after her license was suspended.
Sounds good and I'm all for it but remember the 'left' wanted to 'defund the police'. This could be just another step towards getting rid of the current system and replacing it with something worse for us. We need the police, good non-corrupt police. Without them the world would be something similar seen in The Purge
originally posted by: VictorVonDoom
A crooked judge grants a search warrant to a crooked police department at the behest of a crooked politician, and all they face is "criticism."
What this country needs is judges willing to issue search warrants for to average citizens for police stations. Imagine getting a group of guys together and going to a police station with a warrant. Throw all the cops out, toss the place, and walk off with all the weapons, vehicles, and computers.
Sauce for the goose.
originally posted by: beyondknowledge2
a reply to: VictorVonDoom
Sounds like fun. What evidence do we plant... Erm... Hope to find?
originally posted by: TXRabbit
One has to wonder why a local restaurant owner having a prior DUI record would be worthy of a story from the local newspaper.
Me thinks there might be more to this story....