Joan Meyer, a 98-year-old co-owner of a small Kansas newspaper, passed away on Saturday, just one day after a police raid on her home and the Marion County Record's office building.
According to the Marion County Record, Meyer had been experiencing severe stress and emotional distress in the hours leading up to her death, allegedly unable to eat or sleep following the raid.
Authorities seized personal electronics, computers, the newspaper's file server, and other equipment during the raid, with Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody reportedly physically grabbing reporter Deb Gruver's cell phone, causing further injury to her finger.
Cody later defended the raid, stating that "the judicial system that is being questioned will be vindicated," according to CBS News. He added, "It is true that in most cases, it requires police to use subpoenas, rather than search warrants, to search the premises of journalists unless they themselves are suspects in the offense that is the subject of the search."
Eric Meyer, the publisher of the Record, expressed concern for the newspaper's ability to publish in the coming week while also vowing to seek maximum sanctions under the law to prevent other news organizations from being subjected to similar "Gestapo tactics."
The Privacy Protection Act, a federal law aimed at safeguarding journalists and news organizations from unjustified searches by law enforcement, generally requires subpoenas instead of search warrants. However, the search warrant authorized by Marion County District Court Magistrate Judge Laura Viar appeared to contradict the federal law by allowing the seizure of materials from journalists, as reported by the Kansas Reflector.
The search warrant used in the raid indicated that the police were investigating potential cases of identity theft and unlawful computer-related activities, with specific mention of a search for documents related to Kari Newell, a local restaurateur, according to the Marion County Record. The newspaper plans to file a federal lawsuit against the City of Marion and those involved in the search.
Shannon Jankowski, PEN America's journalism and disinformation program director, condemned the raid, stating, "Journalists rely on confidential sources to report on matters of vital public concern."
Jankowski further asserted that the law enforcement's actions likely violated federal law and jeopardized the newspaper's ability to publish news. PEN America is an organization dedicated to protecting open expression and human rights.
Jankowski emphasized the need to hold law enforcement accountable for any violations of the Record's legal rights, stating, "Such egregious attempts to interfere with news reporting cannot go unchecked in a democracy." The Record's lawsuit aims to address these concerns and ensure that the newspaper's ability to report the news is preserved.
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