So much for that pesky 1st amendment. Cops raid newspaper they disagree with.

[Roadking Larry]

This is some serious third world ********.
Every damn person on the "legal system" side of this needs to spend the rest of their life in jail. That includes all the cops involved, the judge/magistrate that signed off on it and the city council member(s) that instigated it. This kind of crap CAN NOT be tolerated.

 

[TANSTAAFL]

Welcome to Amerika, where Question Authority has become Obey Authority Blindly.

 

[swampratt]

Paper considers its next steps​

Meyer says he is now working to get legal representation.


“What I want is, I don’t want anybody else to have this happen to them,” Meyer said. “We’re going to pursue this to the full extent that we’re allowed to by law and hopefully, that may result in some changes in personnel have been involved in this.”


Meyer is also thankful for the outpouring of support and assistance offers. He said he’s receiving a number of phone calls from other news organizations, even competitors, willing to help and donate computers and equipment to get their next weekly newspaper published by Tuesday night for distribution on Wednesday.


“We weren’t going to let a 154-year-old tradition of publishing every week go down just because some cops decided to come in and do something to us,” said Meyer, who has been a co-owner of the Marion County Record since 1998. Meyer is also a former journalism professor at the University of Illinois, according to his online biography.


The Freedom of the Press Foundation released a statement in response to Friday’s incident, saying the raid appears to have violated federal law and is “the latest example of American law enforcement officers treating the press in a manner previously associated with authoritarian regimes.”


“Based on the reporting so far, the police raid of the Marion County Record on Friday appears to have violated federal law, the First Amendment, and basic human decency. Everyone involved should be ashamed of themselves,” said Seth Stern, director of advocacy for Freedom of the Press Foundation.

 

[GC7]

Might see this happen down in McCurtain county soon too.

 

[Chuckie]

Welcome to America 2.0 -
where politicians have become openly corrupt - where the enforcement of laws have become based on a sliding-scale depending upon ones wealth, connections, or celebrity status - where government intrusion into personal privacy has become excessive - where "The People' no longer have any control over, or even say about, how their government operates - where even the smallest non-compliance to absolute rule leads to swift, unjust, and often violent punishments.

 

[Roadking Larry]

Crooked government officials, tar, feathers, rail.
Some assembly required.

 

[Adhdferret]

For those that didn't want to look this up.

>At a City Council meeting Aug. 7, the business owner, Kari Newell, alleged her private information was “illegally obtained” by a reporter, who she said then shared the information with Councilwoman Ruth Herbel.

https://www.kansascity.com/news/state/kansas/article278222757.html

So what this sounds like is a conspiracy between that community to get some retribution and they assumed it would be kept in house, but it didn't.

This tiny town of 2k is about to be a few less now.

 

[Glocktogo]

A central Kansas police force sparked a firestorm by raiding a newspaper and the publisher's home

A small central Kansas police department is facing a torrent of criticism after it raided the offices of a local newspaper and the home of its publisher and owner.

apnews.com

Newell said she believes the newspaper violated the law to get her personal information as it checked 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 and verified it 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.

I have no idea which way this newspaper slants, but if the information in this AP story is accurate, then that search warrant wasn't lawful and the newspaper could wind up owning that town.

It's rather ironic that Marion, KS is named after Brigadier General Francis "Swamp Fox" Marion, of the American Revolutionary War. Perhaps they need to contemplate renaming the town after this dark episode?

 

[Adhdferret]

A central Kansas police force sparked a firestorm by raiding a newspaper and the publisher's home

A small central Kansas police department is facing a torrent of criticism after it raided the offices of a local newspaper and the home of its publisher and owner.

apnews.com

I have no idea which way this newspaper slants, but if the information in this AP story is accurate, then that search warrant wasn't lawful and the newspaper could wind up owning that town.

It's rather ironic that Marion, KS is named after Brigadier General Francis "Swamp Fox" Marion, of the American Revolutionary War. Perhaps they need to contemplate renaming the town after this dark episode?

Pretty sure the co owner who was 98yo and died will be mourned and laid to rest before they bring out pitch forks.

But hey, let's not acknowledge the human element and mourn or even talk about the battle she had as those cops took her router and she lost the ability to even call someone as they took her phone too.

That is what I dont get. So many here so fixated upon everything other than the tragedy that was done, it is arguing about the legality of the actions.

You know, I know, and everyone will know that what was done is illegal. It was a good Olde boy network where someone applied for a liquor license and a reporter who was doing their job investigated the applicant using publicly available info brought it to the attention of the council of city hall, and they said something to that applicant who said something to the cops and then we got here.

 

[Glocktogo]

Pretty sure the co owner who was 98yo and died will be mourned and laid to rest before they bring out pitch forks.

But hey, let's not acknowledge the human element and mourn or even talk about the battle she had as those cops took her router and she lost the ability to even call someone as they took her phone too.

That is what I dont get. So many here so fixated upon everything other than the tragedy that was done, it is arguing about the legality of the actions.

You know, I know, and everyone will know that what was done is illegal. It was a good Olde boy network where someone applied for a liquor license and a reporter who was doing their job investigated the applicant using publicly available info brought it to the attention of the council of city hall, and they said something to that applicant who said something to the cops and then we got here.

But, you just did.

This is a relatively new story and additional information will be forthcoming. We don't even know the details of her death yet. It may be from natural causes, a pre-existing condition, etc. We don't have any information on her passing, other than what the owner of the paper is saying. So far.

The story is saying there was a public hearing and there was a signed document from the court saying no PC affidavit was on file. Those are verifiable items of proof. Her death certificate may be added to them as time passes? I will say this, if the warrant is deemed illegal, and her death is directly attributable to the service of that warrant? Then Kansas should explore filing criminal charges against the Chief and the officers involved under the felony murder rule.

It's very regrettable that she passed the day after this event. I don't know anything more than that and of course we should empathize with the family for their loss. If it can be proven that her death is attributable to corruption in Marion, KS, then everyone involved in that corruption should pay a very steep price.