In response to the search of the Marion County Record, Kansas lawmakers on Tuesday introduced legislation to reform search warrant policy.
The legislation was introduced by House Democratic Leader Vic Miller and State Representative Jason Probst, and would remove the ability of magistrate judges to authorize warrants, leaving the decision solely to district judges.
Magistrate judges in Kansas do not have as much authority as district court judges but can still approve search warrants in the district they serve.
The search of the Marion County Record as well as the homes of its owners, Eric and Joan Meyer–along with Vice Mayor Ruth Herbel–was approved by Eighth Judicial District Magistrate Judge Laura Viar.
The Marion County Attorney pulled the search warrant last week, citing insufficient evidence existed between the alleged crimes and the places searched.
Lawmakers would not be able to take up the bill until the start of the session in January, 2024.
Critics of the proposal said that the legislation runs the risk of making it harder for police to obtain a search warrant, adding that it may not prevent situations similar to the Marion County Record incident if district judges don’t do more to ascertain the validity of a search warrant prior to signing off on it.
[Photo Credit: Marion County Record]
