Whether by obtaining a “not guilty” verdict for his white-collar client at the conclusion of the prosecutor’s opening statement, or by obtaining the same result at the conclusion of a three-week shaken-baby, first-degree murder trial, Dan Monnat has long been recognized as a creative trial and appellate criminal-defense lawyer. See Lawyer Profile Stories.
For over 45 years Monnat has defended individuals and companies in high-stakes federal and state jury trials, appeals courts, regulatory proceedings, grand jury and other investigations with outstanding results. Twice, Monnat was named Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year” for Wichita, Kansas. In 2012, it was in the category of Criminal Defense-White Collar; in 2014, in the category of Criminal Defense-General Practice. Mr. Monnat has extensive experience and success in complex, lengthy jury trials charging such crimes as conspiracy, criminal bank fraud, money laundering and murder. See Notable Cases. His record of jury trials resulted in his becoming a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and his high-profile cases have been covered in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and featured on CBS 48 Hours. See Dan Monnat's News.
As well, Mr. Monnat has represented individuals and companies in criminal investigations involving state and federal regulatory agencies including at least the Kansas Board of Healing Arts, the Kansas Securities Commission, the Kansas Department of Revenue and the federal SEC, DOD, USDA, HHS, OIG, DEA, ATF, ICE, DHS and IRS.
With his years of experience, Mr. Monnat is also frequently in demand to teach other lawyers at national legal conferences and to provide expert news commentary for national broadcasts, appearing on at least NBC’s The Today Show, CNN, CBS Morning News, CBS 48 Hours, Fox News and Court TV.
Dan Monnat has been listed as one of the “Top 100" lawyers in the Missouri-Kansas edition of Super Lawyers for more than 15 years, and named one of the “Top 10” lawyers in Missouri & Kansas from 2018-2022. He has been listed in Best Lawyers in America® for more than 35 years.
Dan Monnat co-founded Monnat & Spurrier, Chartered, in 1985. Mr. Monnat is licensed to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, the federal and state courts of Kansas and Nebraska and the federal courts of Colorado, Missouri (W.D) and Michigan (E.D).
NOTABLE CASES
Please remember that past results obtained by Monnat & Spurrier, Chartered, attorneys are no guarantee of future results. Each case or matter is different and is judged on its own merits.
United States v. Hall, No. 08–10208–01, 2010 WL 5137499 (D. Kan. 2010): Trial judge dismissed all federal charges of conspiracy, racketeering, money laundering, and fraud on grounds that statutes and regulations underlying charges against tobacco wholesaler were unconstitutionally vague as interpreted by the government and applied to client.
State of Kansas v. Dr. George Tiller, No. 07 CR 2112 (Sedgwick County, Kan., Dist. Ct. March 27, 2009): Jury took only 25 minutes to reach “not guilty” verdict on all 19 charges of performing illegal abortions in politically charged, high-profile trial of internationally renowned abortion provider Dr. George Tiller.
Alpha Medical Clinic v. Anderson, 280 Kan. 903, 128 P.3d 364 (2006): Kansas Supreme Court granted order protecting women’s privacy rights in their medical files by requiring strict protections before Attorney General could subpoena patient files.
State of Kansas v. Scott, No. 83,609 (Kan. App. Aug. 25, 2000) (unpublished): Kansas Court of Appeals affirmed trial judge’s dismissal of forgery charges against businessman as barred by the statute of limitations.
United States v. Guidry, No. 97-10162-MLB (D. Kan. June 17, 1998): Jury trial judge entered “not guilty” verdict on thirteen federal charges of bank fraud and money laundering stemming from comptroller’s alleged embezzlement of $2.6 million from her employer; jury voted to convict client of only three counts of false statements on tax returns.
United States v. McIntosh, 124 F.3d 1330 (10th Cir. 1997): Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed 11 out of 13 of lawyer’s convictions for federal bankruptcy fraud and money laundering.
State of Kansas v. Trammell, No. 92-67959-S (Sedgwick County, Kan. Dist. Ct. 1992): Trial judge found client “not guilty” at close of prosecutor’s opening statement, acquitting client of large-scale white-collar larceny charges. See also State of Kansas v. Trammell, 252 Kan. 961, 850 P.2d 249 (1993): Kansas Supreme Court dismissed prosecutor’s appeal after client’s acquittal.
United States v. Farhat, No. 87-10005-01 (D. Kan. 1987): Jury verdict of “not guilty” on all federal charges arising from graduate student’s alleged counterfeiting operation.
State of Kansas v. _____, No. 107,918 (Kan. App. Oct. 11, 2013) (unpublished). Kansas Court of Appeals reversed client’s two aggravated-indecent liberties convictions and consecutive life sentences on grounds that the trial court erred in excluding expert testimony about false confessions.
State of Kansas v. Puetz, No. 11 CR 3188 (Sedgwick County, Kan. Dist. Ct. 2013): Jury verdicts of “not guilty” for high school football coach on charges of attempted aggravated indecent liberties with a child and attempted criminal sodomy arising from undercover Internet sex sting. Jury deadlocked on remaining charge of electronic solicitation of a child, which State thereafter reduced to misdemeanor charge of patronizing an adult prostitute in exchange for defendant’s “Alford” plea (i.e. “innocent but pleading guilty to take advantage of plea offer”). What began as a multiple felony case with risk of over ten-year sentence, lifetime sex-offender registration, and lifetime postrelease supervision resolved with Class C (i.e. lowest) misdemeanor conviction, no registration, no probation, and no sentence.
State of Kansas v. Weimer, No. 101,099 (Kan. App. May 6, 2010) (unpublished): Kansas Court of Appeals reversed client’s rape and indecent-liberties convictions, 13-year prison sentence, and 5-year term of postrelease supervision after district court found that client’s previous lawyer did not give client effective assistance of counsel.
State of Kansas v. Bunyard, 281 Kan. 392, 133 P.3d 14 (2006): Kansas Supreme Court reversed client’s rape conviction and 20-year sentence because of prosecutor’s misconduct in defining the crime to the jury.
State of Kansas v. Jonker, No. 02 CR 1409 (Sedgwick County, Kan, Dist. Ct. Dec. 6, 2002): Jury verdict of “not guilty” of all charges of aggravated indecent liberties with two different children.
State of Kansas v. Stevenson, No. 84,833 (Kan. App. March 9, 2001) (unpublished): Kansas Court of Appeals reversed client’s conviction of aggravated indecent liberties because prosecutor committed misconduct during closing argument.
State of Kansas v. Lane, Case No. 84,667 (Kan. App. July 21, 2000) (unpublished): Kansas Court of Appeals reversed client’s convictions of rape and aggravated indecent liberties because prosecutor failed to elect which alleged act constituted the crime, and trial judge failed to instruct the jury sufficiently about unanimity.
State of Kansas v. Chappell, 26 Kan. App. 2d 275, 987 P.2d 1114 (1999): Kansas Court of Appeals reversed client’s convictions of aggravated indecent liberties and aggravated criminal sodomy based on trial judge’s and prosecutor’s improper comments regarding the child witness’s ability to tell the truth.
State of Kansas v. Ralls, No. 99 CR 90 (Sumner County, Kan., Dist. Ct. Oct. 29, 1999): Jury verdict of “not guilty” of all charges of rape and aggravated indecent liberties with three different children.
State of Kansas v. Cunningham, No. 13 CR 29 (Ford County, Kan. Dist. Ct. Aug. 24, 2015): Jury verdict of “not guilty” on all charges of first degree murder and child abuse after two week trial involving extensive medical and biomechanical testimony where client accused of intentionally cruelly beating or shaking nearly four year old child to death.
State of Kansas v. Floyd (“Floyd III”), No. 06 CR 17 (Stanton County, Kan., Dist. Ct. Nov. 24, 2008): All charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first degree murder dismissed without prejudice after two hung juries.
State of Kansas v. Floyd (“Floyd II”), No. 06 CR 17 (Stanton County, Kan., Dist. Ct. April 18, 2008): Second hung jury on all charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first degree murder after three-week trial.
State of Kansas v. Floyd (“Floyd I”), No. 06 CR 17 (Stanton County, Kan., Dist. Ct. July 30, 2007): First hung jury on all charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first degree murder after three-week trial.
State of Kansas v. Richardson, No. 03 CR 6 (Reno County, Kan., Dist. Ct. Jan. 22, 2004): Jury verdict of “not guilty” on all charges of aggravated battery and aggravated assault where client was accused of intentionally running over alleged victim with a car in a nightclub parking lot.
State of Kansas v. Shanklin, No. 98 CR 108 (SedgwickCounty, Kan., Dist. Ct July 23, 1998): Jury verdict of “not guilty” on all charges of first-degree murder and other crimes arising from an alleged drive-by shooting.
United States v. Hall, 20 F.3d 1084 (10th Cir. 1994): Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed trial judge’s pretrial dismissal of indictment charging client with using a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime, agreeing that evidence was insufficient to support charge. Client’s possession of more than three pounds of cocaine with intent to distribute and other charges dismissed on remand for lack of speedy trial.
State of Kansas v. Mars, No. 92-CR212-A (Cowley County, Kan., Dist. Ct. 1993): Jury verdict of “not guilty” on all charges arising from alleged arson of client’s residence.
State of Kansas v. Jackson, 238 Kan. 793, 714 P.2d 1368 (1986): Kansas Supreme Court agreed with defense counsel that—despite the Court’s previous repeated declarations to the contrary—the “diminished capacity defense” then existed in Kansas (ruling since superseded by statute).
United States v. Ochoa, 4 F. Supp. 2d 1007 (D. Kan. 1998) (Daniel E. Monnat as local counsel): Trial judge in federal drug case suppressed 222 pounds of marijuana found in car after traffic stop.
United States v. Phillips, No. 96-10006-01, 1996 WL 432377 (D. Kan. 1996) (Daniel E. Monnat as local counsel): Trial judge in federal drug case suppressed forty pounds of marijuana and one pound of cocaine found in U-Haul and car after traffic stop.
United States v. Lambert, 46 F.3d 1064 (10th Cir. 1995): Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed client’s convictions and 10-year sentence for possession with intent to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine, holding that client’s nervousness in airport coupled with quick exit did not establish reasonable suspicion for DEA to detain client in parking lot.
United States v. Redd, No. 95-10051-02 (D. Kan. 1995): Jury trial judge entered “not guilty” verdicts on all federal charges arising from client’s alleged possession with intent to sell 2 pounds of cocaine.
State of Kansas v. Anguiano, No. 93 CR 246 (Seward County, Kan. Dist. Ct. 1994): Jury verdict of “not guilty” on all charges arising from client’s alleged conspiracy to possess with intent to sell 40 pounds of marijuana.
United States v. Lacey, et al., No. 89-10054-01- 05 (D. Kan. 1990): Jury verdict of “not guilty” on all charges after a six-week federal trial for the girlfriend of alleged drug kingpin Rick Lacey in Kansas’s then-largest cocaine seizure and conspiracy case.
United States v. Gerber, No. 89-10051-01, 1989 WL 115984 (D. Kan. 1989): Trial judge suppressed all evidence of indoor marijuana-growing operation because officers failed to wait a sufficient amount of time between announcement and forced entry while executing a valid federal search warrant.
State of Kansas v. Epperson, 237 Kan. 707, 703 P.2d 761 (1985): Kansas Supreme Court affirmed trial judge’s order suppressing sale quantities of cocaine.
State of Kansas v. Davis and Davis, 8 Kan. App. 2d 39, 649 P.2d 409 (1982): Kansas Court of Appeals reversed husband and wife’s convictions for possessing 40 pounds of marijuana with intent to sell, holding that search warrant based on unverified information from unidentified informer was insufficient to establish probable cause.
State of Kansas v. Burris, No. 00 TR 786 (Sedgwick County, Kan., Dist. Ct. June 6, 2000): Jury verdict of “not guilty” on charges of driving under the influence where client with .143 intoxilyzer reading was accused of backing into State Trooper’s vehicle during speeding stop on Christmas Eve; jury convicted driver of only speeding and not wearing a seat belt.
- Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers, "Top 10", 2018 - 2022
- Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers, "Top 100", 2005 - 2014, 2016 - present
- The Best Lawyers in America, 1990 - present
- Ranked in Chambers and Partners Legal Guide, Kansas Litigation: White-Collar Crime and Government Investigations, 2011 - present
- Martindale-Hubble AV Preeminent, 1996 - present
- American Board of Criminal Lawyers, 2013
- American College of Trial Lawyers, 2002
- International Academy of Trial Lawyers, 2010
- Litigation Counsel of America, 2008
- Who’s Who Legal: Business Crime Defense, 2014 - present
- Who’s Who Legal: Investigations, 2017 - present
- America’s Top 100 Attorneys Lifetime Achievement, 2017
- Kansas Sentencing Commission by Governor Kathleen Sebelius, 2007
- Merit Committee to Select United States Magistrate for Wichita, 1999
Preparatory Education
- California State University, San Francisco, California (B.A. in English, cum laude, 1973)
Legal Education
- Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska (J.D., 1976)
Bar Admissions
- State Courts of Nebraska (1976)
- State Courts of Kansas (1976)
- United States District Court, District of Kansas (1976)
- United States Supreme Court (1986)
- United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (1990)
- United States District Court, District of Colorado (1997)
- United States District Court, Western District of Missouri (1998)
- United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan (2015)
Areas of Practice
- Trial and Appellate Criminal-Defense
Graduate
- Gerry Spence Trial Lawyers College, Dubois, Wyoming, 2000
- Gerry Spence Trial Lawyers College Graduate Course, 2001
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Director, 1996-2004
Kansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- President, 1992-1995
- Vice President, 1991-1992
Kansas Association of Trial Lawyers Executive Committee
- Criminal Law Chair, 2000-present
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML)
- Legal Committee, 1993-present
American Bar Association
- Member
American Bar Foundation
- Fellow
Kansas Bar Association
- Member
Kansas Bar Foundation
- Fellow
- Voir Dire: Winning in the Beginning Even with Claimed Vulnerable Victims - NACDL’s 2022 Annual Meeting - Palm Beach Breakers, West Palm Beach, FL – August 11, 2022
- Voir Dire VooDoo in Trials of the Taboo: Wining in the Beginning of Jury Trials with Claimed Vulmerable Victims - NACDL’s 2019 Fall Seminar - Royal Sonesta New Orleans, New Orleans LA - October 18, 2019
- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Kung Fu Strategies for Criminal Defense - 31st Rusty Duncan Advanced Criminal Law Seminar - Hyatt Regency San Antonio Riverwalk, San Antonio Texas - June 23, 2018
- Defending The Accused before the Jury: Basics and Beyond - Members of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the Wichita Bar Association - U.S. District Court 2nd Floor, Ceremonial Court Room, Wichita KS - October 30, 2015
- Trial Lawyers: Why We do What We Do - Kansas Association of Justice Annual Meeting - Kansas City Marriott, Country Club Plaza, Kansas City Missouri - December 12, 2014
- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Kung Fu Strategies for the Courtroom - 2011 Kansas Bar Association Annual Meeting and Joint Judicial Conference - Topeka Capitol Plaza Hotel and Maner Conference Center, Topeka KS - September 6, 2011
- Lessons in Life and Litigation from the Tragic Acquittal of Dr. George R. Tiller - National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers - “Winning Trial Techniques” - Aspen, Colorado - January 2010
- Winning Trial Techniques - NACDL’s Advanced Criminal Law Seminar - St. Regis Hotel, Aspen CO - January 10, 2010
- Oops! He Did it Again: The Britney Spears Defense in the Case of the Untruthful Child - Kansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Fall CLE - Topeka KS - November 7, 2008
- Putting on Your Own Dog and Pony Show - NORML 2008 Aspen Legal Seminar(National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) - Aspen, Colorado - June 7, 2008
- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Kung Fu For Trial - Public Defender Las Vegas Retreat - Las Vegas, Nevada, NV - April 19, 2008
- The Kid Gloves Are Off: Child Hearsay After Crawford v. Washington” - Arkansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Annual Meeting - Tunica, Mississippi - April 2006
- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Kung Fu for Trial - Alabama Criminal Defense Lawyers Association - Windemere Condos, Conference Center and Hampton Inn - Orange Beach, Alabama - June 29, 2001
- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Kung Fu for Trial - National Defender Services - “2001 New Approaches for the Millennium” - Williamsburg, Virginia - May 2001
- Motion to Suppress Practicalities: Not Getting the Defense Thrown Out on Technicalities - New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers - The Four Corners of Criminal Practice” - Utica, New York - October 2000
- Kung Fu Strategies and the Art of Trial - National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers - “Defense Magic for the Millennium” - New Orleans, Louisiana - February 2000
- Motions to Suppress at the Millennium: Staying in the Ring - National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers - “Advocacy Techniques – A Masters’ Course” - San Francisco, California - April 1999
- Preparation and Cross-Examination in Dog Sniff Cases - National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, “Cross-Examination: How to Get What You Need” - Denver, Colorado - August 1998
- You're In Alice's Wonderland: How to Defend Your Client in the Nonsense World of Drug Testing - Wichita Bar Association - “The Science of Family Law” - Wichita, Kansas - December 1997
- Daniel E. Monnat; Gina L. Wehby, Summary and Update: The U.S. Supreme Court Continues to Scope Out Second Amendment Protections, J. Kan. Trial Lawyers Ass’n, November 2024, at 20.
- Daniel E. Monnat; Gina L. Wehby, The Prosecutor’s Toxic Objection: “Defense Counsel Knows That’s Improper!”, J. Kan. Trial Lawyers Ass’n, November 2023, at 28.
- Daniel E. Monnat; Gina L. Wehby, Update on Kansas Self-Defense: Castle Doctrine, Stand Your Ground, and Immunity, J. Kan. Trial Lawyers Ass'n, November 2022, at 16.
- Daniel E. Monnat; Gina L. Wehby, Considering the Golden Rule of Defense-Initiated Victim Outreach (DIVO) for Non-Capital Criminal Defense, J. of the Kan. Trial Lawyers Ass'n, Nov. 2021, at 16.
- Daniel E. Monnat and Trevor D. Riddle, Pandemic: Protecting the Accused’s Right to In-Person Pre-Trial Hearings, Journal of the Kansas Trial Lawyers Association, November 2020, at 19.
- Daniel E. Monnat, Tool Kit: Document and Data Supboenas for Defending Kansas Criminal Cases, Kansas Trial Lawyers Association, November 2019, at 22.
- Daniel E. Monnat; Paige A. Nichols, From Cover to Content: Ten 21st Century Tips for Effective Appellate Briefing, The Champion, August 2017, at 51.
- Daniel E. Monnat; Jennifer Roth, Sentencing, Probation, and Expungement, in Kansas Criminal Law Handbook ch. 14 (KBA, 5th ed. 2016), 2016.
- Daniel E. Monnat; Paige A. Nichols, Technology for Litigators: Pointing and Clicking Our Way Through Trial, Kan. Ass’n Just., November 2015, at 8.
- Daniel E. Monnat; Paige A. Nichols, Can I Get a Witness?, J. Kan. Ass’n Just., July 2014, at 13.
- Daniel E. Monnat, Paige A. Nichols, and Jennifer Roth, Why Criminal-Defense Lawyers Love Their Work (And You Should Too), J. Kan. Ass’n Just., July 2013, at 7.
- Daniel E. Monnat; Paige A. Nichols, To Protect and Serve . . . and Lie? Why Even “Good” Police Lies are Bad for Kansas Justice, J. Kan. Ass’n Just., July 2012, at 14.
- Daniel E. Monnat; Paige A. Nichols, The Loneliness of the Kansas Constitution (Part II), J. Kan. Ass’n Just., May 2011, at 18.
- Daniel E. Monnat; Paige A. Nichols, How to Free a ‘Guilty’ Client by Arguing Entrapment by Estoppel, The Champion, Dec. 2010, at 30.
- Daniel E. Monnat; Paige A. Nichols, The Loneliness of the Kansas Constitution (Part I), J. Kan. Ass’n Just., Sept. 2010, at 10.
- Daniel E. Monnat; Paige A. Nichols, What to Do When the Jury is Out, But the Legal Questions Keep Rolling In, J. Kan. Ass’n Just, Nov. 2009, at 10.
- Daniel E. Monnat; Paige A. Nichols, Legal Prescriptions for Diagnosing Bias During Voir Dire in Kansas Criminal Cases, J. Kan. Ass’n Just., July 2008, at 10.
- Daniel E. Monnat; Paige A. Nichols, Sidelining the Prosecutor in a Criminal Case, J. Kan. Ass’n Just., July 2007, at 11.
- Daniel E. Monnat; Paige A. Nichols, Unsealing Search Warrant Materials for Uncharged Clients, The Champion, July 2006, at 22.
- Daniel E. Monnat; Paige A. Nichols, Unraveling the Woolsack: How to Recuse or Reverse a Biased Kansas Judge, J. Kan. Trial Law. Ass’n, July 2006, at 14.
- Daniel E. Monnat; Paige A. Nichols, The Kid Gloves Are Off: Child Hearsay After Crawford v. Washington, The Champion, Jan./Feb. 2006, at 18.
- Daniel E. Monnat; Anne L. Ethen, A Primer on the Federal Wiretap Act and Its Fourth Amendment Framework, J. Kan. Trial Law. Ass’n, March 2004, at 12.
- Daniel E. Monnat; Anne L. Ethen, Amendments to the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure You’ll Want to Know About, J. Kan. Trial Law. Ass’n, May 2003.
- Daniel E. Monnat; Paige A. Nichols, Ain’t Misbehavin’? Think Again. Identifying Ten Improper Prosecutorial Arguments in Criminal Cases, J. Kan. Trial Law. Ass’n, March 2001, at 1.
- Daniel E. Monnat, Protect Innocent, The Wichita Eagle, Nov. 28, 2000.
- Daniel E. Monnat; Paige A. Nichols, Oh Give Me A Home, Where The Government Can’t Roam . . .”: Interpreting The Kansas Constitution To Protect “Open Fields ”, J. Kan. Trial Law. Ass’n, Nov. 1994, at 17.
