Seized Materials Returned and Paper Published On Time

Photo credit: Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector

The KBI has taken over the investigation, and today leaders announced that they would be returning the items seized on Friday. The Marion Record and their attorney will have a forensic analysis done to see what, if anything, was done with the electronics while they were with police.

The search warrant affidavit has not yet been released, but the county attorney said, after reading it Monday, he felt it established probable cause that a newspaper employee had committed a crime, but "that insufficient evidence exists to establish a legally sufficient nexus between this alleged crime and the places searched and the items seized." No word on why the equipment was released today if he reviewed the affidavit on Monday...

While this is all good news, it's still important to watch this story unfold and to impress upon government leaders that the freedom of the press is paramount. I have yet to see any official explain why a search warrant was needed in this case, as opposed to a subpoena. 

So, please share this petition with others who you think would support it. The more signatures, the stronger the message to government leaders that these types of abuses of power will not be tolerated!

For further reading:

https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/16/us/kansas-marion-newspaper-raid-search-warrant

https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article278237263.html

https://www.kansascity.com/news/state/kansas/article278213842 (Her name is pronounced jo-anne)