• May 12, 2017
  • by Monnat & Spurrier

WICHITA, Kan. – Who’s Who Legal 2017 has named Dan Monnat, of Monnat & Spurrier, Chartered, one of the world’s leading practitioners in the Investigations sector. Who’s Who Legal combines annually with Global Investigations Review to identify the world’s leading lawyers, forensic accountants and digital forensics experts who assist companies and individuals during internal and external investigations.

“This is an exceptional group of worldwide lawyers and forensic experts who regularly represent clients facing external enforcement proceedings, whether that’s supervising dawn raids or ensuring that regulatory authorities are kept in check throughout the investigation,” Monnat said. “Our firm is routinely hired by clients facing local, state or federal investigations, and I’m honored to be recognized for the work we’ve done in protecting our clients’ rights in Kansas and before the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.”

Monnat has practiced in Wichita for more than 40 years, handling criminal and white-collar criminal cases that have attracted worldwide attention. He is a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, the American College of Trial Lawyers, the American Board of Criminal Lawyers and the Litigation Counsel of America.

A graduate of California State University, Monnat received his J.D. from Creighton University School of Law and is a graduate of Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyer’s College.

A frequent national lecturer and editorial contributor on criminal defense topics, Monnat is the author of “Sentencing, Probation, and Collateral Consequences,” a chapter of the Kansas Bar Association’s Kansas Criminal Law Handbook, 5th edition.  From 2007 – 2011, Monnat served on the Kansas Sentencing Commission as a Governor’s appointee. He currently sits on the Kansas Association of Trial Lawyers’ Board of Editors.

Monnat served as a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Board of Directors from 1996 – 2004, and is a two-term past president of the Kansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

  • Apr 27, 2017
  • KAKE.com
  • -
  • by Lily Wu

An official with the Wichita Police Department says 193 firearms were stolen from vehicles last year and 78 guns have been taken in car break-ins this year.

Sgt. Nikki Woodrow shared the information after Chief Gordon Ramsay addressed the thefts in a Tweet Wednesday.

“The police department urges our community to be vigilant and not leave property in vehicles, especially weapons,” Sgt. Woodrow said. “These weapons in the wrong hands can cause a very dangerous situation to society.”

“Seventy-eight this year so far and here it is just the end of April. It’s definitely alarming,” Sgt. Woodrow said.

The map below shows the areas where gun thefts from vehicles have happened since 2016:

“Obviously if you go to a place and you have a firearm on you and you can’t take it into a business, you should have extra precautions.”

Below are the numbers of guns stolen from vehicles since 2013:

  • 2017 (YTD) – 78
  • 2016 – 193
  • 2015 – 151
  • 2014 – 85
  • 2013 – 98

Previous story:

The Wichita Police Department Chief is advising the community of gun thefts from cars.

On Twitter, Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay wrote, “Reading about another handgun stolen from a car. We had over 100 gun thefts from cars last year. This is a preventable crime!!”

Gun safety experts at Thunderbird Firearms Academy advise gun owners to be safe and responsible.

“We tell people, ‘you’re responsible for every round fired from that gun. That includes if somebody else is firing those rounds,'” said Brandon Light, director of retail operations at Thunderbird Firearms.

Thieves often break in and grab things that in plain sight, as well as easily accessible places like the glove box and center console.

“If somebody’s going to break into your vehicle anyway, those are probably the first places that they’re going to hit,” said Light.

Light recommends that people use a lock box system that can cost around $30. There are more advanced and technical systems that are around $100.

“You don’t have to spend that much money if you like the convenience, that’s great. All I care about is that you lock the gun up, if it’s not in your immediate control,” said Light.

Wichita Police also urge people to take out personal property, purses, handbags, and electronics before locking your car.

See full interview at KAKE.com

  • Feb 21, 2017
  • The Wichita Eagle
  • -
  • by Amy Renee Leiker

The Wichita Eagle

By Amy Renee Leiker

Halstead’s former police chief entered a no contest plea Tuesday afternoon to two misdemeanors involving the theft of ammunition from the city.

Steven C. Lewis was sentenced to 60 days in jail on each count, to run concurrently, said Harvey County Attorney David Yoder. But the judge suspended the term and let him go free after Lewis agreed to pay $1,255 in restitution to the City of Halstead and $230 in court costs, follow all laws and surrender his law enforcement certification to the Kansas Commission on Peace Officer’s Standards and Training.

The sentence follows the terms attorneys negotiated for Lewis in his plea agreement. In exchange, Yoder dismissed a felony charge alleging Lewis misused public funds in 2011.

“The City of Halstead is officially glad to have this part of the investigation involving their community resolved and behind them,” Yoder said after the plea hearing.

Lewis’ defense attorney said the former chief entered the no-contest plea to “quickly resolve this case.”

“After 37, almost 38, years as a law enforcement officer, it is unfortunate that Mr. Lewis’ career concluded in this fashion,” Sal Intagliata said. But, he said, Lewis “didn’t want continued media coverage on him and his family because it was affecting them both. So he thought this was … the most appropriate way to resolve this.”

Lewis was arrested and booked on a warrant in August.

The charges against him arose after a KBI investigation found that Lewis endorsed and deposited into his personal bank account checks meant to reimburse the City of Halstead for ammunition he ordered for private individuals in 2012 and 2013. As police chief, Lewis was responsible for ordering ammunition for the police department.

Halstead’s former city administrator, James R. Hatfield, also is facing a felony charge of perjury associated with Lewis and a KBI investigation. He’s accused of failing to disclose to Kansas CPOST the reason for Lewis’ retirement from the department.

Hatfield is due in court for a preliminary hearing on March 23, Yoder said. If convicted, he could face five to 17 months in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.

See full story at Kansas.com

  • Feb 21, 2017
  • KSN TV
  • -
  • by John Asebes

KSN TV

By John Asebes

New memos put out by the Department of Homeland Security aim to place a higher emphasis on stopping illegal immigration, still prioritizing the deportation of criminal illegal immigrants.

“The new policies greatly expand the targets of immigration enforcement,” says Attorney Dan Monnat.

KSN spoke with attorney Dan Monnat, who says fast track deportation was typically sought for undocumented illegal immigrants within 100 miles of a border and in the U.S. less than 14 days. He says this memo goes beyond that.

“A federal agent can seek fast track deportation of any undocumented immigrant in the U.S. anywhere who has been here less than two years. Obviously to achieve all this more money and police power is required,” says Monnat.

Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter is anxious to hear how these memos could impact his staff.

“We are not able to enforce immigration laws.”

He says, right now, if his deputies pull a car over and find out there are undocumented immigrants inside they call ICE. If those individuals aren’t known felons or suspected of criminal behavior, they are usually let go.

But one of the memos appears to allow local law enforcement to be made immigration officers.

Easter says he’s had no communication from the feds about this change and he’s hoping to get some clarification.

“If there is a change that comes from this particular presidency where there is some laws that are going to be passed to have us enforce immigration law then we will follow the law,” says Easter.

For those that work to protect immigrants there’s worry right now. But there is also being an effort made to better understand what the memos mean.

“Loss of hope and desire to fight back and protect the family is our nature,” says Guadalupe Magdeleno.

Also included in the memo is the DHS’s plan to hire thousands more ICE and border patrol agents and efforts to begin building a border wall.

See full video at KSN.com

  • Feb 14, 2017
  • KSNW TV

WICHITA, Kan. – The Wichita City Council voted 6-0 Tuesday to approve security upgrades in the Old Town area. The city plans to add up to 70 high-definition cameras. The cost of the security upgrades is $750,000.

Wichita Deputy Police Chief Jose Salcido said the project was started with three goals in mind: crime prevention, crime solving, and prosecution.

Deputy Salcido cited a study that found a 51 percent reduction in parking lot crime. The cameras would be used for video forensics, catching a criminal in the act, or identifying a suspect.

Police will be able to live stream the feed in a command center downtown.

“You here that people don’t come downtown because they don’t feel safe,” says Gina Buster.

The plan will also allow for businesses who get their own cameras to hook up to the feed, and choose what cameras they allow the police to watch. Meads Corner general manager, Gina Buster, says more cameras downtown is a big benefit for employee safety.

“Knowing that they have not just us and our security system but they city as well,” says Buster.

But also for people like Amy and Krystal, who sometimes walk down to get their coffee and have sometimes felt a little uneasy walking at night.

“If I came down here or maybe by myself with a friend then I would feel more secure walking around and doing stuff,” says Krystal McMillan.

But where do you draw the line on too much surveillance?

“How can it be private if it is in a public place?”

KSN legal analyst, Dan Monnat, says the camera’s and surveillance are within the legal limits of privacy.

“I don’t think 70 cameras in a public place push the limits of privacy any more than 70 law enforcement officers in a public place,” says Monnat.

So what business will be first in allowing police access to camera’s inside and outside?

“We will talk about that and see if it is something that is in our best interest to do,” says Buster.

Deputy Salcido told the city council that several officers would be trained to monitor the cameras from the command center.

“We would have an officer or two watching the cameras that could see a disturbance. Rather than wait for a bystander to pick up the phone, we don’t have to wait for the incident to get to this point, we can intervene when it is starting.”

The project would be completed  by June 2017.

See full video at KSN.com

  • Jan 25, 2017
  • KSNW TV
  • -
  • by Craig Andres

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – A Georgia man has been arrested on federal charges for carrying out an e-mail spoofing scheme that cost Sedgwick County $566,000.<

George S. James, 48, Brookhaven, Ga., is charged with one count of wire fraud. An FBI agent’s affidavit alleges that investigators followed an electronic trail that led them to James after Sedgwick County reported the theft of funds were intended to pay Cornejo & Sons, LLC, for work done on a road project.

County officials say they are thrilled a suspect is in custody.

“Great news for the citizens of Sedgwick County, I think this should engender confidence in our law enforcement system,” says Sedgwick County Commission Chair, Dave Unruh. “It was a slower process than many of us would have liked but they stuck to it and now they have apprehended someone.”

Attorneys say tracking cybercrimes and gathering evidence can lead to a conviction. It just takes some good detective work, and the chain of evidence has to be followed.

“Whether it’s a horse thief or cyber con man, two things are always the same, the accused is presumed innocent and the prosecutor must convince a jury beyond a reasonable doubt of its accusation,” says KSN Legal Analyst, Dan Monnat. “The law is written so that criminals can be caught doing modern crimes… We’ve seen that from fingerprints to DNA from wiretaps to snapchat and from door-to-door swindles to hacking in the cloud. All you need is proof beyond a reasonable doubt.”

See full video at KSN.com

KSNW TV by Craig Andres

  • Nov 10, 2016
  • by Monnat & Spurrier

(WICHITA, Kan.) — Best Law Firms 2017 – a national assessment produced jointly by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers – has awarded Monnat & Spurrier, Chartered’s criminal defense practice a Tier 1 Ranking for the Wichita area. Complete rankings are online at www.usnews.com/bestlawfirms.

Rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys in their field, and review of additional information provided by law firms. Clients were asked to provide feedback on firm practice groups, addressing expertise, responsiveness, understanding of a business and its needs, cost-effectiveness, civility, and whether they would refer another client to the firm.

Defense attorney Dan Monnat and legal scholar Stan Spurrier founded Monnat & Spurrier in 1985. The firm has six lawyers and has gained an international reputation through its defense of such high-profile clients as late-term abortion provider Dr. George Tiller; the unfortunate innocent person whose home was mistakenly raided by police as being that of serial killer BTK; and most recently, the Western Kansas man wrongly accused of murdering a four-year-old child by cruelly beating or shaking her.

In addition to Monnat and Spurrier, the firm includes former prosecutors Trevor Riddle and Sal Intagliata, and associates Kathryn Stevenson and Matt Gorney.

  • Nov 04, 2016
  • by Monnat & Spurrier

(WICHITA, Kan.) – The Missouri & Kansas 2016 edition of Super Lawyers magazine has honored two Monnat & Spurrier, Chartered attorneys:

Firm President Dan Monnat was selected to Super Lawyers’ elite “Top 100” lawyers in Kansas and Missouri for the 11th time. Firm Shareholder Sal Intagliata was honored by Super Lawyers for the third consecutive year. Only 5 percent of all attorneys are included in the Super Lawyers list.

Dan Monnat has practiced in Wichita for nearly 40 years. A graduate of California State University, Monnat earned a Juris Doctorate from Creighton University School of Law and is a graduate of Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyer’s College.

Monnat currently sits on the Kansas Association for Justice’ Board of Editors and is the Criminal Law Chair.  He is a Fellow of the Kansas Bar Foundation, the American College of Trial Lawyers, the Litigation Counsel of America, the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and the American Board of Criminal Lawyers. He is a Life Member and past Board Member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, as well as a two-term past president of the Kansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

Sal Intagliata returned to the firm in 2010. His 20-plus years in practice include 17 years in private practice and 4 years as Sedgwick County Assistant District Attorney prosecuting crimes in the Gangs/Violent Crimes Division. His practice remains focused on criminal, white-collar criminal and DUI offenses and appeals in federal, state and municipal courts throughout Kansas.

Intagliata serves on the Kansas Judicial Council Criminal Law Subcommittee and the Board of Governors of the Kansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He is a past vice president of the Wichita Bar Association, a past member of its Board of Governors, and past Chair of its Criminal Practice Division.

Intagliata earned his bachelor’s degree, with distinction, from the University of Kansas, graduating with dual majors in political science and Spanish. He earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Kansas School of Law. He is also a graduate of the National Criminal Defense College.

Monnat & Spurrier, Chartered celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

When Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay thinks about the kinds of men and women he’d like to see working for him one day, he doesn’t envision classes filled with cadets who have spotless pasts.

He hopes to see candidates who know what it’s like to deal with hard times.

“I want people who have had adversity in their life and maybe had a bumpy road,” Ramsay said. “They have more life experience. They can relate to someone better than maybe people that have never struggled with how they’re going to pay for their next meal or their next rent payment.

“I would like to hire more people that have struggled in life and understand those hardships.”

That could include recruits who have crimes in their past, he said.

Neither the Wichita Police Department nor the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office currently accepts job applications from anyone with criminal convictions, including minor cases such as shoplifting.

A driving force behind the policies is preventing credibility issues from arising should that officer be called to testify in court.

Various court cases have ruled that prosecutors have to disclose to defense attorneys any information that would challenge the credibility of the state’s witnesses. That has led to the creation by authorities of what’s called the Brady/Giglio list, which often includes – but is not exclusive to – law enforcement personnel.

WHAT A 30-YEAR-OLD POLICE OFFICER DID WHEN HE WAS 13, SHOULD THAT COUNT AGAINST HIM? IN MY OPINION, ABSOLUTELY NOT
Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay

Any law enforcement officer with credibility issues is not allowed to provide an affidavit used as a basis to bring criminal charges, Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said.

Being on the Brady/Giglio list “doesn’t mean they can’t testify,” Bennett said last week. “It doesn’t mean they can’t do the job.”

But it does mean, he said, that inclusion on the list “has to be disclosed.”

When it comes to an officer’s credibility becoming an issue in court because of a past indiscretion, “I can sit here and brainstorm a half-dozen scenarios where it would be immaterial,” Bennett said. “And on some cases, it’d be really, really important – if, say, they claim the evidence was planted.”

Attorneys praise proposal

Local defense attorneys praised Ramsay’s intent.

“It’s encouraging to see the top brass of the Wichita Police Department recognize that people deserve second chances,” said Dan Monnat, of Monnat & Spurrier. “Each of us is better than the worst thing we have ever done.”

Charlie O’Hara, of O’Hara and O’Hara, called it “an interesting concept.”

“I think there’s some real value to having people who have been through some hard times” working for a law enforcement agency, he said. Otherwise, you could end up with officers who “have never done anything in their lives, and it’s a little hard to relate to people.”

O’Hara and Monnat both said having the different standards for recruit eligibility could lead to more credibility challenges in court cases, depending on the circumstances of the cases.

“We can’t overlook the fact that every person on trial is entitled to know about that witness’ past that sheds light on his or her present credibility,” Monnat said. “I don’t think it’s anything new. We ask the jury to do that now with every witness.

“The truth is, we don’t have a lily white law enforcement now,” he said. “They do things that create doubts about their credibility. They might begin now with things in their past that cast doubt on their credibility. Whether it means no one believes them, that’s for the jury to decide – as always.”

There’s a lot of public misunderstanding about the Brady/Giglio laws, O’Hara said. The relevance of an officer’s criminal history “depends on the crime,” he said.

“If it’s a crime of dishonesty, it goes to the credibility of the witness.

“If the crime is they smoked marijuana when they were 19, I don’t know how that related to whether they’re telling the truth when they’re 35.”

Desire for change

Wichita isn’t the only police department in the country considering changes in the eligibility requirements for potential law enforcement cadets.

“It’s a question that a lot of law enforcement agencies and a lot of states are wrestling with, honestly,” Bennett said. “You have departments that want to diversify racially and ethnically.”

When he was at a symposium earlier this year sponsored by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Bennett said, he heard people talk about “a lot of guys who got in trouble and straightened themselves out and they’d be great cops,” but criminal offenses when they were young have derailed those aspirations.
He has heard similar accounts in the Hispanic community, Bennett said.

The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office won’t accept any candidates who have a crime of “deceit, untruthfulness or dishonesty” in their past, even if it’s shoplifting or misdemeanor theft, Lt. Lin Dehning said in an e-mail response to questions.

Such crimes are a “permanent disqualifier,” he said.
A DUI only disqualifies a candidate if it’s within the past two years or if multiple DUIs have occurred within the past five years, he said.

Whether a disorderly conduct charge or a school suspension for fighting would disqualify a candidate “depends on the circumstances,” Dehning said.

Ramsay, the Wichita chief, wants to find a way to accept at least some candidates who are being turned away today.
“What a 30-year-old police officer did when he was 13, should that count against him?” Ramsay asked. “In my opinion, absolutely not.

“All kids make mistakes and do things wrong and sometimes it boils down to who got caught and who didn’t.”

See full article and video at Kansas.com

BY STAN FINGER

[email protected]

  • Sep 16, 2016
  • KAKE TV
  • -
  • by Lily Wu

WICHITA, Kan. On Wednesday, Travis Hubin was arrested and booked on a felony charge of promoting prostitution or promoting the sale of sexual relations.

According to Kansas statute, promoting prostitution includes inducing another to become a prostitute.

“In this matter, the doctor is not accused of purchasing or producing pornography. Instead, he is, in essence, accused of paying two otherwise consenting adults for engaging in an act of sex,” said Trevor Riddle, criminal defense attorney at Monnat & Spurrier in Wichita.

Detectives with the Exploited and Missing Child Unit were investigating a separate case when they stumbled across another crime, in which Hubin was later arrested.

“They had learned that this 45-year-old male was providing money to individuals to videotape sexual acts and provide those videos to him,” said Sgt. Nikki Woodrow, Wichita Police.

In Kansas, it is illegal to sell or pay for others to sell sex.

“Kansas has made it unlawful to engage in an act known as promoting prostitution or, in the words of the statute, promoting the sale of sexual relations. Like it is unlawful to sell sex, it is unlawful to pay other people to sell sex,” said Riddle.

But it is not illegal to view pornography.

“There are well-established First Amendment rights, as it relates to a person’s ability in the privacy of their own home, to view particular material. In essence, no, it is not unlawful to purchase or possess pornography,” said Riddle.

Riddle wants to remind people that Hubin is accused of the crime but has not been found guilty.

“The doctor in this matter, as all American citizens accused of crimes, is entitled to the presumption of innocence,” said Riddle. “We always ask the people to respect that presumption and understand that at this time, this is nothing more than an accusation.”

Hubin bonded out of jail on Thursday afternoon. His bond was set at $50,000.
Detectives will present their case to the district attorney’s office and prosecutors will make a decision if any charges are filed against Hubin.

Hubin’s employer, Via Christi Clinic, issued this statement on Thursday:
“We are fully cooperating with law enforcement authorities, and this individual is on administrative leave pending the investigation.”

According to the Kansas Board of Healing Arts, licensed professionals are held to the Healing Arts Act (specifically 65-2836 and 65-2837).

KAKE News spoke with the executive director, Kathleen Selzler Lippert, on the phone.

Selzler Lippert said the Board collaborates and cooperates with other state agencies such as law enforcement and the district attorney’s office when a licensed professional is arrested. The Board will look into the matter and any disciplinary actions will be based on evidence. Selzler Lippert cannot speak specifically about any complaints, as those are confidential.

See full video at KAKE.com