Lawsuit could be filed in death of Joan Meyer, who died day after police raid on KS paper
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Kansas newspaper controversy
A police raid Friday on a local newspaper in Marion, Kansas, sparked First Amendment concerns across the country.
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A wrongful death lawsuit could be filed in the death of Joan Meyer, the co-owner of the Marion County Record who died hours after police raided the Kansas newspaper.
“We are exploring all options, including a wrongful death claim,” said Bernie Rhodes, the newspaper’s attorney.
The lawsuit would be brought on behalf of Meyer’s estate.
The Aug. 11 raid drew condemnation from free speech advocates across the globe. A search warrant was also executed at Meyer’s home and at the residence of a city councilwoman. Meyer, 98, died the following day from sudden cardiac arrest, according to the coroner’s report.
Video surveillance from Meyer’s house shows her become agitated as she watched officers rifle through her belongings.
Using a walker, she approached the officers and said, “I don’t want you in my house.”
One officer asked how many computers were in the house.
“I’m not gonna tell you,” she replied.
In the coroner’s report, Eric Meyer, the publisher and Joan Meyer’s son, recounted the raid, saying it was “extremely upsetting to Joan and caused her to remain angry and upset through out the day and night.”
She stayed up until about 3 or 4 a.m. Aug. 12. Around 6 a.m., he noticed she had gone to bed. She woke up around 2 p.m. and said she did not feel well and was dizzy.
She was talking in bed when she stopped mid-sentence and fell unresponsive.
He called 911 and began CPR. There were no signs of life with medics arrived, the coroner’s report said. She died at 3 p.m. on Aug. 12, the day after the raid.
Her funeral was held this past Saturday.
Rev. Ron DeVore, who officiated the service, noted “the miserable 24 hours” that preceded Joan Meyer’s death. But the memorial focused on her long life and career, which included world travels and writing a popular column on the history of Marion County.
“She’s left us with a legacy,” DeVore said.
Rhodes said in addition to a possible wrongful death claim, the newspaper needs to be compensated for the First Amendment rights that were damaged.
‘Hitler tactics’
The three search warrant applications were submitted by Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody. The records indicated law enforcement was investigating identity theft and unlawful acts concerning computers.
In the affidavits, police alleged that a Marion County Record reporter illegally obtained Kansas Department of Revenue information related to the driving history of Kari Newell, a local businesswoman who lost her driver’s license over a DUI in 2008 and was applying for a liquor license for her restaurant.
The warrants were approved by Magistrate Judge Laura Viar.
Police seized several computers, cellphones, a router and other equipment.
“These are Hitler tactics and something has to be done,” said Joan Meyer, whose name is pronounced “Joanne.”
The three search warrants were withdrawn on Aug. 16, four days after she died. In a statement, Marion County Attorney Joel Ensey said he concluded that “insufficient evidence” existed to establish a “legally sufficient nexus between this alleged crime and the places searched and the items seized.”
Rhodes, who also represents The Star, said the reporter had been given a copy of Newell’s driving record and used a public website to verify that information.
“The only so-called ‘crime’ Chief Cody was investigating was being a reporter,” he said.
Eric Meyer said last week that the police were either “malicious or incompetent.”
This story was originally published August 21, 2023 at 1:59 PM with the headline "Lawsuit could be filed in death of Joan Meyer, who died day after police raid on KS paper."
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