WICHITA — Criminal defense attorney Dan Monnat has been awarded the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award by the Wichita Bar Association, honoring nearly five decades of legal work that has garnered national attention and shaped high-profile criminal defense in Kansas and beyond.
The award acknowledges sustained excellence in the legal profession, including ethical standards and contributions to justice. Monnat has practiced law in Kansas and Nebraska for nearly 50 years.
“The WBA represents more than 1,000 lawyers in the Wichita area, and I am beyond humbled by their selection of me to receive this honor,” Monnat said in a statement. “We will always stand together, bound by our passion for this profession and our love of the Constitution.”
Known for taking on controversial and high-stakes cases, Monnat has defended clients in matters ranging from murder and sex crime accusations to white-collar crime and constitutional challenges. Some of his most notable cases include:
- The acquittal of a nationally known late-term abortion provider
- The defense of a Catholic priest accused of sex crimes
- The defense of a man wrongfully suspected of being the BTK serial killer
- The acquittals of a local football coach accused of sexual misconduct
- The dismissal of charges after two hung juries in a Western Kansas murder case
- The complete acquittal of a Dodge City man accused of shaken baby murder
Monnat co-founded the Wichita-based law firm Monnat & Spurrier in 1985. Earlier this year, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, where he is a former president.
See full story at KSN.com