Former Marion police chief charged in connection with newspaper raid

MARION, Kan. (KWCH) - Former Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody faces charges in connection with last year’s raids on the Marion County Record newspaper office and the homes of the newspaper’s publisher and a former city council member.

In Marion County, Cody is charged with interfering with a judicial procedure, inducing a witness to withhold or delay information in a felony case. On the civil side, Cody is among several facing lawsuits in connection with the raids.

Last week, Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett and Riley County Attorney Barry Wilkerson, appointed special prosecutors in the case. The final report on the case from Bennett and Wilkerson said that Cody would be charged with obstruction of judicial process, a severity level 8, nonperson felony. Cody faces between seven and 23 months in prison if convicted.

The Marion County attorney appointed Wilkerson to be the lead prosecutor on this case.

Last August, Cody initiated a raid on the Marion County Record, the home of publisher Eric Meyer and the home of a then-city council member Ruth Herbal, who had been critical of the mayor.

At the time, Cody said he had evidence that the newspaper, reporter Phyllis Zorn, and the city council member had committed identity theft or other computer crimes in obtaining information about a local business owner’s driving record. His targets said they did nothing illegal, and no charges were ever filed.

Cody resigned in October, a week after an announcement during a city council meeting that he had been suspended.