Kansas Supreme Court changes way DUIs investigated

Terry Loewen’s intent to pursue an entrapment defense received a setback when a federal judge refused to order the government to disclose whether mass surveillance led to Loewen’s arrest. “The fine line between ‘entrapment’ and the commission of a crime is, ‘whose idea was it?’” asks KSN Legal Analyst Dan Monnat. “Was the idea created by the government…”

WICHITA — After a sexual assault victim was found in Fairmount Park, evidence entered into the Sedgwick County Forensic Science Center showed a preliminary DNA match for the suspect. Dan Monnat tells KSN News: “If another crime comes up that they’re investigating, and you have not expunged your DNA, the DNA is on file to be used…”

WICHITA – Kansas has joined a legal challenge to President Obama’s stance on immigration… but KSN Legal Expert Dan Monnat says, “This isn’t really Kansas or any state suing the President. It’s the states suing a number of government agencies like border patrol and homeland security, asking the courts to declare the President’s recent order on immigration, unconstitutional….”

WICHITA — Cornell Antoine McNeal was charged with attempted capital murder, rape and two counts of arson, and an alternative charge of attempted first-degree, premeditated murder. DNA samples are collected on some inmates, and Dan Monnat tells KSN News the only other way to get a DNA sample is with a search warrant….

TOPEKA, Kansas (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court cleared the way for additional gay marriages in the state’s most populous county while declaring that it would defer to the federal courts on whether Kansas’ ban on same-sex marriages is constitutional. Legal Analyst Dan Monnat tells KSN News: ““The Kansas Supreme Court did hint that the Kansas laws against same-sex marriage are probably unconstitutional…”

WICHITA, Kansas – Many same-sex couples are eagerly awaiting the chance to get married. KSN’s legal analyst Dan Monnat says that while the State of Kansas appeal to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals will still go ahead, “Kansas officials must start issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.”

WASHINGTON and WICHITA, Kansas (AP/KSN) — The U.S. Supreme Court said Wednesday that same-sex marriages can go ahead in Kansas. The 7-2 ruling only overrules the stay on the federal court injunction blocking the state’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, while the case is awaiting hearing in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. “But while that decision proceeds, Kansas authorities must issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples,” legal analyst Dan Monnat said….

WICHITA, Kansas — As the debate over same-sex marriage continues in Kansas, the courtroom drama is getting more complicated…. The state filed the action against a Kansas 10th Judicial District Judge, when last month he granted a same-sex marriage license to a Johnson Co. couple, pointing to recent cases in Colorado, Oklahoma, and Utah that found gay marriage bans unconstitutional. Says legal analyst Dan Monnat, “It applies to the Kansas law the rulings of the 10th circuit on the Utah and Oklahoma laws because the Kansas law is virtually identical….”