Two special prosecutors say they plan to file an obstruction of justice charge against a former central Kansas police chief over his conduct following a raid last year on his town’s newspaper, and that the newspaper’s staff committed no crimes.

Two special prosecutors said Monday that they plan to file a criminal obstruction of justice charge against a former central Kansas police chief over his conduct following a raid last year on his town’s newspaper.

In an lengthy report summarizing the findings of their investigation, the special prosecutors, Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett and Riley County Attorney Barry Wilkerson, note that the staff of the newspaper that was raided, the Marion County Record, committed no crimes.

It wasn’t clear whether they planned to charge former Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody with a felony or a misdemeanor, and either is possible. The prosecutors also hadn’t filed their criminal case as of Monday. It could be days before they file it because they were working with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, which stepped in at the request of its Kansas counterpart.

But the prosecutors concluded that they have probable cause to believe that Cody obstructed an official judicial process. They said two pages of a written statement from a local business owner in September 2023 were not turned over to investigators about six weeks after the raid. Cody had accused Meyer and Zorn of identity theft and other computer crimes related to the business owner’s driving record to get warrants for the raid.

  • some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org
    35·
    1 month ago

    This chief needs to be jailed as an example to other corrupt cops. It’ll probably be just a slap on the wrist.

  • ✺roguetrick✺@lemmy.world
    12·
    1 month ago

    That’s really funny. He’s getting nailed not for his fascist ass good ole boy raid but for not complying with the investigation. I hope he cuts a deal and gets the county councilors nailed in conspiracy charges and blows the whole fucking thing wide open.

    I don’t have the desire to look up the filing on court listener, but Myer’s civil case against Cody criticizes him for turning off his body cam when discussing the case over the phone with the restaurant owner but not when using the bathroom. And then includes a picture of him in the pisser, lol.

    Edit: I misremembered the specifics. It was while he was handling stuff about himself. Still funny.

    https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/68396336/meyer-v-marion-kansas-city-of-bfont-colorred-case-consolidated/

  • Vespair@lemm.ee
    9·
    1 month ago

    Call me crazy, but if a person charged with upholding the law knowing breaks the law, I think it should be automatically a felony.

    Those we imbue with power should be held to higher standards and have greater accountability, not lesser.

  • M0oP0o@mander.xyz
    71·
    1 month ago

    This is weird. Why are they stating this and not just file the charges?

    They are what? Warning the former chief? Trying to judge if how much people still care?

    • girlfreddyOP
      1·
      1 month ago

      In an email, Mr. Bennett’s office said that Mr. Cody would be charged later this week in Marion County District Court with interference with the judicial process, a felony that is punishable by up to 23 months in prison but may result in lighter sentences for defendants with no prior convictions. from the NYT

      So a bit better.

      • M0oP0o@mander.xyz
        2·
        1 month ago

        Yeah, think of it this way; If you or I (unless your a cop) falsified affidavits in order to get a permission for you and a group of thugs to help you break into multiple locations and take documents/computers because of the possibility of your sorted past coming to light, you or I (unless you are a cop) would be looking at more then just this one charge.

  • corsicanguppyEnglish
    4·
    1 month ago

    Last year???

    Like, just one year ago and not 5?

    WhatYearIsIt.jpg

    Covid is still messing with my sense of elapsed time.