WICHITA, Kan. – Supporters of same-sex marriage may be closer to the ability to marry in Kansas thanks to a ruling by the 10th Circuit Court that struck down a Utah same-sex marriage ban that is also binding in Kansas. “Does the decision of the court necessarily say those law enforcement officials must issue licenses? No, because the 10th Circuit stayed its decision [pending an appeal to the Supreme Court],” legal analyst Dan Monnat said. “Whether or not the United States Supreme Court reviews this is a discretionary matter,” Monnat said.

WICHITA, Kansas – Individual privacy supporters applauded a Supreme Court ruling Wednesday that determined that the contents of cell phones can only be released to law enforcement through a search warrant, because “a person’s life… can be reconstructed, said the court, by means of their smartphone,” according to Dan Monnat, a legal analyst.

WICHITA, Kan. – A Sedgwick County judge is deciding whether an independent expert will be allowed in a room for DNA testing in regards to a double-murder. “If the prosecution can’t give the accused the second test that they’re entitled to, then the accused is entitled to the next best thing: An independent expert being present or videotaping of the prosecution’s one-sided test,” said local defense attorney Dan Monnat….

WICHITA, Kan. – The government is seeking more time to try the case of Terry Loewen, the man accused of plotting to set off a car bomb at the Wichita airport. “The government is saying that it conducted such an extensive, intensive, complex sting against this former United States Marine and long-time Wichita aircraft worker that it can’t even turn over all of its evidence within 120 days of arraignment,” said Attorney Dan Monnat. “Thus, the case should be called complex, and the government excused from the usual legal deadlines….”

WICHITA, Kansas – More Wichita police officers are going to be wearing body cameras.
Says KSN Legal Analyst Dan Monnat, “Recording police-citizen encounters generally preserves civil rights. For one thing, it protects police from false claims of police brutality, and it protects the citizen from false claims of confession or a waiver of rights.”

WICHITA – Police have found the woman who gave birth and surrendered her baby. However, the public release of her photo is drawing fire from supporters of the Safe Haven Law. “It remains to be seen whether dissemination of the mother’s identity, history and photograph violates any provision of the federal privacy of healthcare records act,” said Dan Monnat, a legal expert…

A teen accused of murder wants statements he made at the time of his arrest thrown out. Attorney Dan Monnat says, “Studies show suspects under the influence of alcohol or drugs have impaired recall and thus are susceptible during interrogation to being fed facts they internalize and then make false confessions…”

WICHITA, Kansas — DUI check lanes are legal…drug check lanes appear to be a legal question mark…. “No law enforcement officer has a constitutional privilege to manufacture a traffic violation that did not occur,” says KSN Legal Analyst Dan Monnat. “Such a stop would be an unreasonable seizure.….”