Military
Defense Lawyer (Former JAG Attorney) News:
Recently, a company
grade military officer defended by attorney Richard V. Stevens (Military
Defense Law Offices of Richard V. Stevens, P.C.) had the sexual assault case he
faced dropped by the military before the case went to trial (UCMJ Article 120).
The military client was
accused of, and investigated for, having sex with a civilian acquaintance after
a night of drinking in which she claimed to be too intoxicated to consent and
claimed that she objected. The case proceeded through an Article 32
hearing and was referred to trial by general court-martial.
The defense expected
the witnesses and evidence to dispute that the complainant was too intoxicated to consent,
and to confirm she had engaged in behavior that indicated she was interested in
the client both before and after the alleged event. We further expected the logical inference from the testimony and evidence would be that all activities between them were willing and consensual. Finally, we expected the evidence in the case to expose the complainant's significant credibility and motive issues.
As the defense filed
specific discovery requests and expert requests, detailing the questionable
information we expected to be exposed during the litigation of the case, the
complainant changed her mind – knowing the truth would be exposed – and she informed
the government that she was no longer willing to participate in the case. The court-martial case was then dropped, and
the military elected not to pursue any administrative adverse action.
Had there been a
court-martial trial and sex crime conviction in this case, the client could
have been sentenced to a punitive discharge, a lengthy term of confinement in
prison and, in addition, he would have been required to register as a sex offender. Thankfully,
the case was dropped and the officer client was spared this risk of devastation
to his future.
While this military
court-martial and sexual assault 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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