Judge Who OK’d Raid on Kansas Newspaper Has History of DUIs: Report

The Kansas judge who signed the search warrant that authorized local law enforcement to raid the offices of the Marion County Record on Friday—an “unprecedented” move allegedly instigated over a unpublished story on a local restauranteur’s drunk-driving record—reportedly has a history of driving under the influence herself. An investigation by The Wichita Eagle published Wednesday revealed that Marion County District Court Magistrate Judge Laura Viar has been arrested at least twice for DUI in two different Kansas counties. The arrests occurred in January and October 2012. In the second case, according to the Eagle, Viar was under the influence when she allegedly crashed into a school building while driving off-road with a suspended license. While this incident was reported on at the time, the January arrest was never disclosed to the public. At the time of the October crash, Viar was running unopposed for re-election as Morris County Attorney. She won. Earlier on Wednesday, Marion County Attorney Joel Ensey announced that the search warrant in question would be withdrawn, citing “insufficient evidence” connecting the materials confiscated in the raid and the alleged crime.