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David Zalubowski/AP
Native regulation enforcement in Marion, Kansas, seized cell telephones, computer systems, and different materials from the workplace of the Marion County File, its reporters, and the house of its writer, based on reporting from the Kansas Reflector, a nonprofit newsroom.
Eric Meyer, the File’s writer and proprietor, mentioned the raid got here after an nameless supply leaked details about an area restaurant proprietor to the paper. Meyer mentioned it was designed to warn reporters: “Thoughts your individual enterprise or we’re going to step on you.”
All 5 officers from town police pressure, together with two sheriff’s deputies, took “all the things we now have,” Meyer mentioned. In keeping with the Reflector, the search could have violated federal protections for journalists:
The search warrant, signed by Marion County District Court docket Justice of the Peace Decide Laura Viar, seems to violate federal regulation that gives protections in opposition to looking out and seizing supplies from journalists. The regulation requires regulation enforcement to subpoena supplies as an alternative. Viar didn’t reply to a request to remark for this story or clarify why she would authorize a probably unlawful raid.
The paper reported final week that Kari Newell, an area restaurant proprietor, had kicked members of the press out of a gathering with Rep. Jake LaTurner (R-Kansas). Newell responded by writing what the Reflector described as “hostile feedback” on her Fb web page.
From there, a sophisticated saga ensued by which an nameless supply leaked data to the paper about how Newell had been convicted of driving below the affect and continued to drive and not using a license. Newell determined to not publish these particulars after concluding that they may have been offered by Newell’s husband, who has filed for divorce.
Meyer instructed the police in regards to the leak, who then instructed Newell. The restaurant proprietor went on to falsely accuse the paper of acquiring data illegally. Quickly after, the police confirmed up on the File’s workplace and Newell’s dwelling with a search warrant. The Reflector notes:
The search warrant identifies two pages price of things that regulation enforcement officers had been allowed to grab, together with pc software program and {hardware}, digital communications, mobile networks, servers and exhausting drives, gadgets with passwords, utility information, and all paperwork and information pertaining to Newell. The warrant particularly focused possession of computer systems able to getting used to “take part within the identification theft of Kari Newell.”
The computer systems that had been seized included authorized notices and commercials which are supposed to look in subsequent week’s challenge of the paper. “I don’t know what we’re going to do,” Meyer mentioned. “We are going to publish one thing.”
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