Last week, El Salvador returned Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the United States to face human smuggling charges.
Who would be willing to step up to represent someone like Mr. Abrego Garcia—or someone accused of murder, violent drug offenses, or other heinous crimes?
Dan Monnat. He has been proudly representing “those people” for the past 40 years.
Dan “broke tradition” last month when he gave an inspirational acceptance speech after receiving this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award from the Wichita Bar Association. And his brother-in-law caught it on video.
In his remarks, Dan reminded us that it is a privilege to defend both the innocent and the guilty because each of us is better than the worst thing we’ve ever done on our darkest day.
A Fourth Circuit judge recently emphasized how vital it is that even someone accused of being an alleged member of an international terrorist gang receive the “due process that is the foundation of our constitutional order” before being secreted into a cesspit like CECOT.
Dan celebrates how representing “those people”—people like Mr. Abrego Garcia—has helped him realize what a treasure the Bill of Rights, Due Process, and Constitutional Rule of Law are in America.
Watch the moment that Dan reminded a room full of lawyers that they are the foot soldiers of the Constitution.