On August 11, 2023, Marion County police officers in Kansas searched the newspaper office of the Marion County Record and searched the home of Eric Meyer, the newspaper’s owner. The officers conducted the search pursuant to a search warrant signed by Marion County District Court Magistrate Judge Laura Viar.
One week before the search, the newspaper’s staff was kicked out by Kari Newell from his Marion restaurant during a public meet and greet with Congressman Jake LaTurner. A confidential informant contacted the newspaper and provided evidence that Newell had been convicted of drunken driving and continuing to use her vehicle without a driver’s license.
However, the Marion County Record never ran the story. Instead, Meyer alerted police to the information. The police notified Newell, who then complained to the city council that the newspaper had illegally obtained and disseminated sensitive documents. Newell claimed the newspaper was attempting to slander her name. Newell’s public comments drew the newspaper to issue a story stating their own version of events.
The next day though, five officers showed up to search Meyer’s home and newspaper office. They seized computers, hard drives, utility…
