WICHITA, Kan. – People caught with marijuana in the city of Wichita could now face less serious penalties if a new ordinance gets final approval. Defense attorney Dan Monnat says that whether a case in the city is charged under the more serious state law or the new city law is largely a matter of “prosecutorial discretion.” Monnat says, “If the sheriff’s officer brings a state accusation of possession of marijuana to the district attorney, it is perfectly within the district attorney’s prosecutorial discretion to say, ‘we don’t want to handle that here, take that over to the city.’”

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

The Wichita City Council voted to approve security upgrades in the Old Town area by adding up to 70 high-definition cameras. KSN legal analyst, Dan Monnat, says the cameras 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.