Success in City Court

The lawyer's of Maughan and Maughan LC work tirelessly to provide criminal defense to indigent defendants in Wichita Municipal Court. This is but one area of the services we provide as we strive to protect the rights and defend the interests of our clients in a variety of different arenas. However, as the work that these attorneys provide for our clients is never ending, they seldom receive the recognition that they deserve. Day in and Day out, our lawyers work for the best outcome for the clients, to try to find a resolution that will please our clients. Most of the time, these goals are achieved through the negotiation of plea agreements. The vast majority of these plea agreements represent settlements that everyone can live with. Occasionally, no settlement can be reached. On these occasions, our lawyers rise to meet the challenge and are willing and able to proceed to trial and to insist that the city meets its burden to prove the accusations that they have made against our client. Then, win or lose, our lawyers turn around and do it all again, throwing themselves into the task of helping the next client. It is a grueling and thankless position that can sometimes seem never ending. Yet, they continue to fight on.

In the last few days, our lawyers have obtained back to back not guilty verdicts for our city public defender clients. The first trial was won by Attorney Chris Holzman, the newest member of our firm, who obtained the acquittal of a citizen accused of possession of marijuana. The acquittal was achieved despite testimony that the marijuana was found in a compartment of the vehicle next to where the defendant sat, that the defendant had a green tongue consistent with the smoking of marijuana, and that at the defendant's feet were the contents of a cigar from which the tobacco had been removed in a manner similar to that used by those who would use the cigar wrapping to hold marijuana that they intend to smoke. The second not guilty verdict came at the hands of attorney Kate Zigtema who tried a domestic violence battery case. Despite evidence that the defendant may have had physical contact with the victim and despite a long arrest record, our attorney was able to obtain a not guilty verdict by skillfully undermining the credibility of the complaining victim.

While the not guilty verdicts themselves are not necessarily unusual and therefore not especially noteworthy, they serve to remind those of us at the firm who do not regularly assist our indigent clients in City court of the hard work of these lawyers. These acquittals provide the perfect moment to offer a sincere thank you to the Maughan and Maughan attorneys who work to assist those who could not afford an attorney of their own and must now defend against the accusation of wrong doing in municipal court.