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Special prosecutors charged former Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody with one count of interference with the judicial process, a low-level felony, for asking a restauranteur to delete text messages after his controversial raid of the Marion County Record.

Former Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody is charged with felony obstruction of justice and is accused of persuading a potential witness for a probe into his conduct of withholding information from authorities.

Even though a special prosecutors report released this week clears nearly everyone in the unprecedented Marion County Record raid of criminal wrongdoing, it does nothing to diffuse allegations of police malfeasance — or concerns about a corrupt local government.

The former police chief of Marion, Kansas, will face criminal charges for his role in a raid of the Marion County Record. The raid made national headlines last year and drew attention from state investigators and First Amendment advocates.

A report from special prosecutors cleared Marion County Record reporters of any wrongdoing, and accuses former Marion County Police Chief Gideon Cody of obstructing the judicial process — a low-level felony.

After the raid of the Marion County Record, Deb Gruver quit and filed a federal lawsuit against Police Chief Gideon Cody for his “malicious and recklessly indifferent violation” of her constitutional rights. Earlier this month, Gruver and Cody reached a $235,000 settlement.

A lawsuit from former council member Ruth Herbel alleges that the August 2023 raids on her home and the Marion County Record were acts of retaliation by the mayor, police chief and sheriff — and accused officials of "judge-shopping" for warrants.

The U.S. lost newspapers at a rate of about 2.5 per week last year, many of them in rural areas. But some newspapers are trying new business models and doubling down on local news. Plus: A southwest Kansas printing press keeps local news alive in small towns across four states.

As newspapers around the country close and consolidate, a printing press in Liberal, Kansas, is a lifeline for local media in the region.

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.

Reyes trabajó en muchas organizaciones comunitarias de Kansas City y se dedicó a cerrar la brecha entre los residentes hispanohablantes y anglosajones. Sus hijos se dedican a continuar su legado.

Reyes served in many Kansas City community organizations and was dedicated to bridging the gap between its Spanish- and English-speaking residents. Her children are dedicated to continuing her legacy.