Kansas newspaper owner calls out ‘suspicious’ timing of raid documents, as search warrant suddenly withdrawn

The search warrant that prompted the raid at a small-town Kansas newspaper was abruptly withdrawn Wednesday — because the paper’s proprietor pointed to the “suspicious” timing of different courtroom filings within the gorgeous First Modification case.

The Marion County Legal professional yanked the warrant from final Friday’s unprecedented search by native cops of the Marion County Report, KSHB 41 reported Wednesday.

Bernie Rhodes, the lawyer representing the paper, stated all objects that have been taken throughout raid have been returned and {that a} forensics staff will evaluation these issues.

The information comes as Eric Meyer, the proprietor and writer of the Report, stated his staff acquired maintain of the possible trigger affidavit allegedly justifying the shock search — solely to search out one thing amiss.

“It was filed three days after these searches have been carried out, which is just a little suspicious,” Meyer told CNN Wednesday morning.

Meyer, whose 98-year-old mom died the day after their home was raided on account of “shock and grief,” demanded solutions over the obvious incongruity, which exhibits a search warrant was granted days earlier than any justification was ever formally filed.

The police division didn’t instantly reply to The Put up’s request for remark concerning the affidavit and search warrant.

The Marion County Report made big-time headlines after Police Chief Gideon Cody and each cop from the division stormed its newsroom Friday. The raid got here amid the paper’s investigation into allegations Cody, 54, had retired from his final police job to keep away from demotion over sexual misconduct.

Meyer additionally chalked up the police’s actions to “long-standing animosities” between completely different events within the city, together with the newspaper, the vice mayor and restaurateur Kari Newell.

An unknown celebration had leaked paperwork to the paper and Vice Mayor Ruth Herbel exhibiting that Newell had a DUI on her document and was driving with out a license, which might have made it unlawful for her to have a liquor license.

The Marion County Report by no means revealed the story, as an alternative alerting police and suggesting a nasty religion actor associated to her ex-husband was concerned within the leak.  

Meyer stated that regardless of the paper being open to cooperating with the cops, the police by no means reached out to them or requested for the doc.

As an alternative, the police relayed the data to Newell, who accused the paper of illegally acquiring her DUI information, whereas admitting that she had a drunk driving document.

Meyer informed CNN that Newell by no means really needed the paper to get raided, however for police to go after Herbel, whose residence was additionally searched final Friday.

The Report writer additionally laughed at officers for his or her alleged ineptitude as they seized paperwork and computer systems from reporters, however didn’t get hold of the precise doc regarding Newell, which was out within the open.

“It was sitting on my desk subsequent to the pc they seized. They didn’t take it,” he chuckled.

Meyer added that questions nonetheless linger over the police’s actions because the paper has filed a lawsuit towards the town.

Meyer stated the paper by no means acted on the claims about Cody as his reporters couldn’t confirm the knowledge, however the allegations — in addition to the identities of the individuals who made them — have been contained on one of many computer systems seized through the raid.

“It’s simply hypothesis, oddities about what’s occurring right here,” Meyer stated of the speculation that his paper was raided over the investigation.

The Marion Kansas Police Division has repeatedly defended its actions, including that an investigation was opened after one of many Report’s reporters, Deb Gruver, had injured her finger when the chief seized her cellphone.

“I consider when the remainder of the story is out there to the general public, the judicial system that’s being questioned might be vindicated,” Cody stated in an announcement.

The Marion County Report is revealed weekly and has served Marion County since 1869. The county has a inhabitants of 11,712.