First Amendment

If adopted, the policy would restrict permits for amplified sound during the week from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Permits would also only be issued for stationary activities, to prevent disruption caused by marches. But a lawyer says the policy is "overbroad" and can't be justified.

Kris Kobach has filed a federal lawsuit against the Education Department's revised Title IX rules, which ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. LGBTQ+ students who face discrimination will be entitled to a response from their school and can seek action from the federal government.

The lawsuit claims that the Marion mayor, police chief and other local officials violated the First Amendment freedom of the press, the Fourth Amendment prohibition on warrantless searches, and federal and state laws that protect journalists and their sources from police raids.

After seizing records and devices from the Marion County Record offices, then-Police Chief Gideon Cody allegedly had a “pizza party” with the county sheriff to debrief him. Cody initiated the unprecedented August newspaper raid under the pretense that a reporter committed identity theft by accessing public records.

The Marion County Record search warrant signed by Kansas magistrate Laura Viar appeared to violate federal law protecting journalists from police raids. The Kansas Commission on Judicial Conduct did issue Viars "informal advice" to research appropriate federal and state laws before approving warrants.

Documents show that multiple Kansas officials offered unquestioning support of the Marion County Police before their unlawful raid of a newspaper, and then attempted to sidestep the international outrage that followed.

Marion, Kansas, Police Chief Gideon Cody — formerly a member of the Kansas City Police Department — resigned after an earlier suspension. A reporter for the Marion County Record has also resigned, saying she no longer feels comfortable in the community.

Marion Mayor Dave Mayfield in a text said he suspended Chief Gideon Cody on Thursday. He declined to discuss his decision further and did not say whether Cody was still being paid.

Gabrielle Griffie was charged with disorderly conduct in Wichita after a 2020 protest. Her lawyers say that violates her First Amendment rights.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals concluded a lower court’s wide-ranging order barring the federal government from communicating with social media companies was “vague and broader than necessary.”

The August 11 raid was ostensibly undertaken under the pretense that a reporter committed identity theft by accessing public records on a public website. A new lawsuit from veteran journalist Deb Gruver contends that the Marion Police Chief's real motivation was to punish the newspaper for its investigations.

The lawyer who represents the Marion County Record accused Marion County Police of copying data from the newspaper onto an external hard drive and failing to give it back. The sheriff's office agreed Thursday to destroy the data.