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