Military Defense Lawyer (Former JAG Attorney)
News:
Recently, a senior non-commissioned officer
(NCO) defended by attorney Richard V. Stevens (Military Defense Law Offices of
Richard V. Stevens, P.C.) was found not guilty of all charges he faced in a litigated general
court-martial trial, including sexual assault and physical
assault allegations (UCMJ Article 120 and Article 128).
The senior NCO client was accused of these
offenses by a civilian acquaintance after a night of drinking, in which the
complainant, who was married, was out without her husband and was witnessed by bar
patrons behaving in a manner that would have been very damaging to her marriage
- except she then claimed to have been victimized in an attempt to shield
herself from the consequences of her behavior that night.
The client pled not guilty to all charges in
the general court-martial trial, and the case was heard by a panel (jury) of
officer and enlisted members (jurors).
The truth of what actually occurred that evening was exposed through videos
from the evening, witness testimony by bar patrons, and also through testimony from a civilian witness
who was not affiliated with either party who completely refuted the claims made
by the complainant. One by one, this objective witness said unequivocally that the details described by the complainant were
not true.
The court members (jury) did not deliberate
long before announcing the client had been found not guilty of all charges and
specifications (complete acquittal). Had
there been a sex crime conviction in the case, the client could have been
sentenced to a dishonorable discharge, decades in prison and, in addition, he
would have been required to register as a sex offender. Thankfully, the truth prevailed and he was
spared this devastation to his future.
He can now move on from this case without the stigma of a sexual assault
conviction which would have affected his life for the remainder of his days.
While this military court-martial case was
successfully defended, it is important to understand that every case has
different facts, and success in previous cases does not guarantee success in
any particular future case. No military
lawyer or civilian defense lawyer, including those who specialize in military
law, can guarantee the outcome of any military trial or case.
For more information about the military justice
system, particularly cases alleging rape and/or sexual assault in violation of
UCMJ Article 120, type "rape" or "sexual assault" into the
search bar above the blog posts and see:
We offer free consultations for a case you may
be involved in. Just call us.
Thank you.
By:
Attorney Richard V. Stevens
Civilian criminal defense lawyer and military
defense lawyer
Military Defense Law Offices of Richard V. Stevens,
P.C.
Blog postscript: I (attorney Richard V.
Stevens) am a former active duty military lawyer (JAG). My perspectives and
advice, therefore, are based upon my experience as military defense lawyer and
as a civilian criminal defense lawyer practicing exclusively in the area of
military law and military justice. This blog addresses issues in military law,
military justice, military discipline, military defense, court-martial
practice, the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and other military and/or
legal topics. Nothing posted in this blog should be substituted for legal
advice in any particular case. If you seek legal advice for a particular case,
please contact The Law Offices of Richard V. Stevens for a free consultation.
These military defense law offices are located in the Washington DC, Northern
Virginia, Maryland, National Capital Region (NCR), but the military defense
representation is worldwide – when necessary, the attorneys travel to wherever
the client is stationed around the world.
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