Items seized in Kansas newspaper police raid returned

Aug 17, 2023

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter), Ian Kennedy (Editor), Ben Burke (Digital Producer)

According to the co-owner and publisher of the Kansas newspaper at the center of a controversial police raid, the items seized in the raid have been returned. A reporter for the Marion County Record confirmed the items were on their way to Kansas City, where a forensic analyst will check “that nothing was done to them.”

A search warrant for the newspaper, as well as Publisher Eric Meyer’s home, was executed on Friday, Aug. 11. Meyer said he believed the raid was prompted by a story published a couple days prior about a local business owner.

The warrant, signed by a local judge, suggested it was over whether the newspaper improperly used the business owner’s personal information to access her state driving record online. Meyer has said the paper did nothing illegal.

Marion County Attorney Joel Ensey agreed to withdraw the search warrant on Wednesday, Aug. 16. Ensey said his review of the items seized found “insufficient evidence exists to establish a legally sufficient nexus between this alleged crime and the places searched and the items seized.”

The police raid of the Kansas newspaper put the town of Marion at the center of a national debate surrounding press freedom, with watchdog groups and media organizations condemning the raid. Meyer said he believes the raid was carried out because the newspaper was investigating why the police chief left his previous post as an officer in Kansas City.

“This is the way things go here too often and too often people are brought into silence and intimidated by reactions like this,” Meyer said on Monday, Aug. 17. “Extremely pleased with the outpouring of support we’ve received from other news organizations, organizations of journalists, just people around the country. I don’t even have a count of it, but our circulation has probably increased by 25%, 50% by people coming on to our website and just signing up for a subscription.”

Tags: Kansas, Kansas City, Newspaper, Police raid

WE TOLD YOU EARLIER THIS WEEK ABOUT A POLICE RAID CONDUCTED AT A KANSAS NEWSPAPER’S OFFICE AND ITS PUBLISHER’S HOME —
THAT GAINED NATIONAL ATTENTION OVER WHETHER THE POLICE SEARCH WAS AN INFRINGEMENT ON FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS.
NOW WE’RE LEARNING THE ITEMS POLICE TOOK DURING THE RAID HAVE BEEN RETURNED TO THE NEWSPAPER.
THE SEARCH WARRANT IS BEING WITHDRAWN — AS PROSECUTORS ANSWER TO THE LOUD DEMANDS FROM MEDIA ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO CONDEMNED THE RAID.
THE COMPUTERS AND REPORTER’S CELL PHONES THAT WERE ONCE CONFISCATED —
THE NEWSPAPER IS NOW SENDING TO A FORENSICS LAB TO TRY AND SEE WHAT POLICE DID WITH THE ELECTRONICS.
THE “MARION COUNTY RECORD’S” PUBLISHER HAS PROMISED HIS PAPER WILL CONTINUE TO PUBLISH DESPITE THE DISRUPTION.
IT PUBLISHED ITS FIRST EDITION SINCE THE POLICE RAID WITH THE FRONT-PAGE HEADLINE READING “SEIZED BUT NOT SILENCED.”
“This is the way things go here too often and too often people are brought into silence and intimidated by reactions like this.”
MARION POLICE HAVE SAID THE PUBLIC DOESN’T HAVE ALL THE FACTS TO THE STORY YET — AS ITS AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION INTO WHETHER THE PAPER ILLEGALLY OBTAINED AND USED PERSONAL INFORMATION ABOUT A LOCAL BUSINESS OWNER.