State v. Filbert 574 P.3d 407 (Kansas Court of Appeals 2025)
State v. Filbert, 529 P.3d 159 (Kansas Court of Appeals 2023)
In 2018, Jonathan Laurans agreed to take on the Kansas post-conviction case of Jeremy Filbert. He had been wrongly convicted of several sex offenses and punished with 6 life sentences. Litigation was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, Mr. Filbert’s trial judge ruled against him on all claims. Mr. Laurans fought to overturn these adverse rulings, and in 2023 the Kansas Court of Appeals agreed that the case should be remanded to the district court for a full evidentiary hearing on all claims. Mr. Filbert’s case was reassigned to a new judge, but she also ruled against him. Undeterred, Mr. Laurans appealed again, and in August 2025, the Kansas Court of Appeals agreed with Mr. Laurans once more, holding that Filbert received constitutionally inadequate representation (“ineffective assistance of counsel”) rendering his 2016 jury trial unfair. Filbert’s convictions were all vacated and set aside, and his case was ordered back to the district court for a new jury trial. The State then tried to thwart that appellate decision, asking the Kansas Supreme Court to intervene. But after Mr. Laurans filed an opposition brief with the justices, the Supreme Court declined review, ensuring a new trial and finally a chance at freedom for Mr. Filbert nearly 10 years after his first trial. Post-conviction cases are difficult, lengthy proceedings, rife with highs and lows that test a litigant’s resolve, and cause strain on friends and family. And sometimes, justice delayed is worth the wait.
State v. Longmire, No. 11,302 (Kansas Supreme Court, January 12, 2018): Jonathan Laurans successfully lobbied the Kansas Supreme Court to vacate his client’s felony conviction for refusing to take a breathalyzer test. In 2014, Mr. Laurans was one of the first three lawyers in Kansas who filed appeals to challenge the constitutionality of Kansas’ “breath test refusal” statute, Kansas Statute 8-1025. This case was held over while two others, Ryce and Nece, moved forward first. Once the “breath test refusal” law was declared unconstitutional, the Supreme Court summarily reversed Mr. Longmire’s conviction.
Mr. Laurans has been fighting – and winning – post-conviction and habeas corpus cases his entire career. He won his first two post-conviction cases thirty years ago, both of which made national news at the time.
Percival v. United States, 15-CV-9310 (D. Kan. 2016) Jonathan Laurans succeeded in overturning a 10 year prison sentence and dissolved a 17 million dollar ($17,000,000.00) criminal forfeiture/fine. By pursuing his client’s habeas corpus rights, Mr. Laurans was able to protect his client’s freedom and finances, and negotiate a sentence of 60 months and a $300,000.00 forfeiture/fine.
Read more here.
Percival v. United States, 15-CV-9310 (D. Kan. 2016) Jonathan Laurans succeeded in overturning a 10 year prison sentence and dissolved a 17 million dollar ($17,000,000.00) criminal forfeiture/fine. By pursuing his client’s habeas corpus rights, Mr. Laurans was able to protect his client’s freedom and finances, and negotiate a sentence of 60 months and a $300,000.00 forfeiture/fine.
Read more here.
In re Marriage of Smith 275 P.3d 931 (Kan. App. 2012) Jonathan Laurans successfully defended his client from a half-million dollar ($500,000.00) frivolous contractual non-payment claim. In addition, Mr. Laurans was awarded his attorney fees from both the trial and appellate courts.
State v. Everest, 256 P.3d 890 (Kan. App. 2011) Jonathan Laurans successfully overturned a previous conviction where the client was accused of “obstruction of official duty”. He convinced the Kansas Court of Appeals that the arresting officer’s duties were not obstructed by the actions of his client, thus refining the definition of “obstruction” under Kansas law.
United States v. Herron, 215 F.3d 812 (8th Cir. 2000) Jonathan Laurans successfully overturned a client’s convictions for racketeering and drug distribution. All asset forfeitures (in excess of $400,000.00) were set aside because Mr. Laurans was able to prove that DEA agents doctored search warrant applications. Thus, the ensuing searches and seizures were all illegal.
Mr. Laurans has won several post-conviction cases in the last ten years, two of which overturned sentences in excess of 25 years in Kansas and Oklahoma federal courts. Recently, he convinced Federal judges to excuse “procedural defaults” in two Habeas Corpus cases in order to revive expired claims of innocence. He has also won the set-aside of millions of dollars assessed against clients in criminal forfeiture orders.
United States v. Michael Berry, 12-CR-20083 (D. Kan. 2013) The client, Mr. Berry, was facing 235 months in prison and a 17 million dollar ($17,000,000.00) criminal forfeiture/fine. Mr. Laurans fought this excessive punishment, and successfully lobbied for a sentence of 10 months in prison, with an approximate one-hundred and fifty thousand dollar ($150,000.00) forfeiture/fine.
State v. XXX, 362 P.3d XXXX (Kan. App. 2015) Jonathan Laurans successfully fought for his client’s right to an expungement. The Court of Appeals reversed a trial court’s denial of expungement from a prior “unlawful sexual relations” conviction. On remand to the trial court, Mr. Laurans won an expungement order for his client.
State v. Maitland, 0716-CR-06308 (Jackson County 2012) Jonathan Laurans obtained the immediate release from prison of a grandfather wrongfully incarcerated after sentencing, who’d been convicted of inappropriately touching his granddaughter’s chest over her sweater. Originally sentenced to probation, the grandfather’s sentence was illegally altered by the judge with no due process, immediately incarcerating the grandfather for 15 years. Mr. Laurans fought to the Missouri Supreme Court and back to regain this man’s freedom, and has since prevailed in two cases where the State tried to send him back to prison.
In 2013, Mr. Laurans convinced a federal judge to overturn a faulty mortgage fraud conviction within only weeks of the jury’s verdict, saving the client from a costly and lengthy appeal.
In 1994, Jonathan Laurans successfully won the release of the former Lieutenant Governor of Kansas from federal prison, where he had been serving time for tax evasion. Mr. Laurans was able to prove that the original conviction resulted in an excessive and unlawful punishment, by authorities not having taken into account the correct tax loss figures associated with their audit and investigation.
In 1995, Jonathan Laurans won release for an inmate via a writ of habeas corpus, who would be the first inmate ever freed to receive a heart transplant. By proving this client’s imprisonment was based on a misapplication of drug-quantity sentencing tables, Mr. Laurans saved this man from further incarceration and a certain demise.
**Every case is resolved according to its own facts and legal merit. Past performances in these cases does not guarantee results for future clients in their upcoming cases. These case results are for informational purposes only, as part of this advertisement.
