Local police in Marion, Kansas, conducted a raid on the offices of a local newspaper on Friday as well as the homes of the publication’s publishers and reporters.
Eric Meyer, the owner and publisher of the Marion County Record, told the Kansas Reflector that the city’s entire five-officer police force and two sheriff’s deputies conducted the raid, which included the seizure of computers, cellphones and reporting materials.
That's the move of an authoritarian state, like Communist China or Putin's Russia, to raid a newspaper and seize ther computers because the powers that be didn't like what was published. One of the owners of the paper, who was in her upper 90s, died as a result.
The title of this post should be the headline on every newspaper article about this story.
The stormtrooper in charge was Chief of Police Gideon Cody. The local magistrate judge, who apparently knows less about the law than does someone with a room-temperature IQ, was Laura Viar, a judge who would one would assume aparently believes that neither Federal law nor the Constitution cut any ice in Marion County.
Somebody needs to lose their license to practice law: The judge, the county prosecutor, the town attorney, one or all of them. The alleged victim, Kari Newell, should be looked at for perjury.
And the county should warn up its checkbook. Because yes, freedom of the press applies to small towns, too.
I hope you do no mean to imply that things like this have not been happening in places like this right along, down all the years.
ReplyDeleteHmmm. Appears to be another case of "guilty" until proven "innocent".
ReplyDeleteThe outcry is growing along with national coverage.
Things like this have not been happening in places like this right along. The only difference about this one is that it got noticed.
ReplyDeleteIt's time for the policing establishment to be knocked down several pegs to their actual place in the hierarchy.The "danger" of the job is just squid ink; I ,as a commercial fisherman, was 7 times more likely to be killed on the job, but look for examples of us whingeing about it. Trenton. NJ set the example with a fire & reapply for your job policy. They have to be forcibly reminded who they actually work for and what their actual job is...
ReplyDeleteTo the Trumpanzee named Wayne: Red card. The story reported as nothing to do with Your Dear Orange Lord and Master, so you and your horse can buzz off.
ReplyDeleteOf course a Trumpanzee would object to freedom
ReplyDeleteOf the press. These folks make the Barons who forced King John to sign the Magna Carta look like Commies by comparison.
I have yet to hear why the cops decided to raid this newspaper? Can anyone enlighten me?
ReplyDeletew3ski
Some well-connected asshole claimed that the paper stole her identity. Which they didn't. But rather than do what the law requires, which is to open an investigation and subpoena evidence, they raided everyone.
ReplyDeleteTellingly, the search warrant was lacking the required supporting affidavit. So this looks more and more like a political hit job.
Just recently reported that the paper was "actively investigating" the police chief for past sexual misconduct. There's the reason right there.
ReplyDeleteSince one of the papers owners died as a result of the
ReplyDeletedirect stress of being raided (home invaded and
property taken) I'be be for a wrongful death suit.
That and the cops should check to see paper they are issued
does not cause them grief as in, complete. The issuers need
a whole lot of litigation laid on them and if its tracable
to Newell the just for fun on that one too. Most papers
report on the police blotter of only as filler.
The whole thing round the DWI and no license that is
public.
Eck!
rdale, yes, and now the chief has access to everything that the paper has, including the names of sources.
ReplyDeleteSuing him isn't good enough. He belongs in prison.
Prison seems to be the most likely outcome. Wasn't the paper investigating him too?
ReplyDelete