Maybe this is a law-talkin’ thing, but how the actual fuck do you “withdraw” a warrant that’s already been executed? That’s like unshooting a murder victim.
There was never going to be a prosecution. This was entirely about trashing the business and information technology assets of a political troublemaker. And after that, “shucks, didn’t mean to do that” is entirely irrelevant.
I’m not a law-talkin’ guy, but my assumption was that withdrawing the warrant means anything they seized during the search is inadmissible as evidence in a trial.
But you’re right, if the point of the raid was just to intimidate the newspaper and there was never going to be a trial, then whether or not any “evidence” is admissible in court is moot.
Well, the raid killed the co-owner of the paper, so there’s that. “Withdrawing the warrant” won’t bring her back.
Right, plus the article states that they must return all seized assets to the newspaper.
In a related twist, it appears that the Magistrate who approved the warrant has a bit of a checkered past herself.
This article certainly does not speak well of the Kansas judicial system. Many of those judges appear to have attended the same judge-training academy as Aileen Cannon.
I rather assume lawyers from all those big city papers will enjoy helping this small town paper. Great fun awaits.
Indeed. The attorney quoted in the article which you linked, Bernie Rhodes, also represents the Kansas City Star.
So hopefully the paper will have all of their items returned. But if there was a message, it has been sent.
My apologies to the idiot judge.
Dollars to donuts the equipment is trashed. Disassembled, perhaps violently. All storage “accidentally” wiped or destroyed.
Basically, scrap.
And the county prosecutor has said everything should be returned. The paper is still trying to publish. I hope they’re able to do so!
What recourse does the paper (or other folks in similar situations) have regarding property destroyed in a search?
Lawsuit. As always. Justice delayed.
Qualified impunity.
They put out a paper today! How, I’m not sure, but I saw local video that showed them putting papers into the machines that dispense the papers.
Necessity is the mother of invention.
I heard earlier today that this newspaper has had 3,000 new subscribers since all of this happened, most of them not local, and a surprising number from outside the U.S.
This article quotes the publisher stating that there have been 2,000 new subscribers, which is still a huge jump.
How do you withdraw a warrant after the fact? It’s already a done thing. I am missing something.
Who knows what they did with it or what they installed on it while they had it. Even if it’s all in perfect working order, a wipe and reinstall would be prudent.
I read one article that said other news organisations were offering computers and assistance to ensure they would be able to publish.