A federal civil rights lawsuit over a police raid in Marion will move forward. The lawsuit was filed by former Marion vice mayor Ruth Herbel, alleging violations of her First and Fourth Amendment rights during a raid on her home last year.
A judge dismissed some of the defendants in the lawsuit, including Marion County, but it allows the lawsuit to continue against former Marion police chief Gideon Cody, certain deputies and the City of Marion itself.
Attorney Jared McClain with the Institute for Justice said in a press release, “We’re still considering our next steps, but we’ll continue to fight to make sure that everyone involved is held accountable for what they did to Ruth and her husband, Ronald.”
The lawsuit blames a political conflict for an August, 2023 raid on Herbel’s home and on the offices of the Marion County Record, as well as the home of the newspaper’s co-owner Joan Meyer, who died the day after the raid. Cody had claimed he was investigating computer crimes and a possible illegal search of records.
Other lawsuits are continuing against Cody and others involved in the raids. Cody has been charged with felony obstruction of justice after an investigation by two special prosecutors. He made a brief appearance in Marion County District Court on Monday, and he was released on his own recognizance. A status conference was scheduled for December 16th.
[ photo of Ruth Herbel provided by Institute for Justice ]
