TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Marion County has agreed to pay over $3 million and apologize following a contentious raid on the local newspaper, the Marion County Record, in August 2023. This event has stirred a national outcry regarding press freedom concerns. The settlement stems from multiple federal lawsuits filed against the county, claimed by the newspaper's publisher Eric Meyer among others, including his late mother Joan Meyer, co-owner of the paper, and a former city council member whose home was also targeted.
Meyer has stated that he hopes the financial agreement serves as a deterrent for similar actions against news organizations in the future, emphasizing the symbolic nature of the payment amid a growing climate of hostility towards the press. He expressed, 'The goal isn’t to get the money. The money is symbolic. The press has basically been under assault.'
Sheriff Jeff Soyez issued a public apology acknowledging the involvement of the sheriff's office in the execution of search warrants that targeted the newspaper and the homes of those involved. In a statement, Soyez expressed 'sincere regrets' to Meyer, his mother, and the former council member, Ruth Herbel, for the distress caused by the incident.
The Marion County Commission approved the settlement after a brief private discussion, hoping to move forward from a divisive episode that sparked debates about journalists' rights.
The raid, which occurred against the backdrop of a dispute between the newspaper and a local restaurant owner, is believed to have heightened tensions in the small community of Marion, with a population of approximately 1,900. The restaurant owner had accused the newspaper of invading her privacy in its reporting. Meyer argues that their investigative work had been crucial in bringing local issues to light, and that the sheriff’s deputy actions were retaliatory towards the paper's coverage.
The incident followed the death of Joan Meyer, who died from a heart attack a day after the police raid, raising further concerns about the impact of such stress on journalists and their families, enhancing the national conversation on press freedoms.
Meyer has stated that he hopes the financial agreement serves as a deterrent for similar actions against news organizations in the future, emphasizing the symbolic nature of the payment amid a growing climate of hostility towards the press. He expressed, 'The goal isn’t to get the money. The money is symbolic. The press has basically been under assault.'
Sheriff Jeff Soyez issued a public apology acknowledging the involvement of the sheriff's office in the execution of search warrants that targeted the newspaper and the homes of those involved. In a statement, Soyez expressed 'sincere regrets' to Meyer, his mother, and the former council member, Ruth Herbel, for the distress caused by the incident.
The Marion County Commission approved the settlement after a brief private discussion, hoping to move forward from a divisive episode that sparked debates about journalists' rights.
The raid, which occurred against the backdrop of a dispute between the newspaper and a local restaurant owner, is believed to have heightened tensions in the small community of Marion, with a population of approximately 1,900. The restaurant owner had accused the newspaper of invading her privacy in its reporting. Meyer argues that their investigative work had been crucial in bringing local issues to light, and that the sheriff’s deputy actions were retaliatory towards the paper's coverage.
The incident followed the death of Joan Meyer, who died from a heart attack a day after the police raid, raising further concerns about the impact of such stress on journalists and their families, enhancing the national conversation on press freedoms.
