CIVILIAN COURT-MARTIAL DEFENSE LAWYER: MILITARY DEFENSE LAW OFFICES OF RICHARD V. STEVENS

Monday, October 13, 2025

CIVILIAN COURT-MARTIAL DEFENSE LAWYER: SENIOR MILITARY OFFICER REPRESENTED BY ATTORNEY RICHARD V. STEVENS HAS FRAUD CASE DROPPED

Military Defense Lawyer (Former JAG Attorney) News:

Recently, a senior military officer defended by attorney Richard V. Stevens (Military Defense Law Offices of Richard V. Stevens, P.C.) had the fraud case he faced dropped by the military.

The officer client was accused of, and investigated for, allegedly committing fraud in the military contracting process. We denied the allegations, which were being investigated by military and civilian authorities. The government intended to either pursue a general court-martial or to hand the case over to civilian authorities. We maintained that the client did not commit the alleged fraudulent activity.

After a protracted and complicated investigation, the civilian authority made the decision not to the purse the case. After more lengthy investigation by the military, they too made the decision to the drop the court-martial case. Instead, they took minor administrative action and the officer’s military career continued.

Had there been a court-martial trial and conviction in this case, the client could have been sentenced to a punitive discharge (dismissal for an officer) and a lengthy term of confinement in prison. Thankfully, the truth was revealed that there was no fraud, and the client was spared this risk of permanent damage to his future.

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 larceny and fraud, see:

https://militaryadvocate.com/practice-areas/larceny-wrongful-appropriation-fraud/

We offer free consultations for a case you may be involved in. Just call us.

Thank you.

Attorney Richard V. Stevens

Civilian criminal defense lawyer and military defense lawyer

Military Defense Law Offices of Richard V. Stevens, P.C.

https://militaryadvocate.com/

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.

Sunday, October 12, 2025

CIVILIAN COURT-MARTIAL DEFENSE LAWYER: MILITARY OFFICER REPRESENTED BY ATTORNEY RICHARD V. STEVENS HAS DISCIPLINARY ACTION DROPPED AND RECORD CLEARED

Military Defense Lawyer (Former JAG Attorney) News:

Recently, a field grade military officer represented by attorney Richard V. Stevens (Military Defense Law Offices of Richard V. Stevens, P.C.) had the disciplinary action he faced dropped by his command, and his personnel record was cleared.

Because this was an administrative case, and there are Privacy Act and service branch regulations regarding case information, specific details will be withheld. However, this senior military officer hired attorney Richard V. Stevens, from the Military Defense Law Offices of Richard V. Stevens, P.C., to represent him during a military investigation, and then to assist him with his rebuttal when he received administrative disciplinary action.

We disputed the allegations in this case, both factually and legally. Consequently, we submitted a lengthy rebuttal package detailing our issues with the case. Based on the rebuttal package, the command dropped the disciplinary action and cleared the officer’s record.

If this disciplinary action had been upheld and remained in the officer’s record, it likely would have impacted his chances to progress in rank and position, and it may have resulted in his administrative discharge from the service.

While the representation in this military case was successful, 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 involving administrative disciplinary actions, see:

https://militaryadvocate.com/practice-areas/administrative-discipline-actions/

We offer free consultations for a case you may be involved in. Just call us.

Thank you.

Attorney Richard V. Stevens

Civilian criminal defense lawyer and military defense lawyer

Military Defense Law Offices of Richard V. Stevens, P.C.

https://militaryadvocate.com/

Friday, October 10, 2025

CIVILIAN COURT-MARTIAL DEFENSE LAWYER: TWO SENIOR MILITARY OFFICERS REPRESENTED BY ATTORNEY RICHARD V. STEVENS RETIRE HONORABLY, AT HIGHEST RANK, AFTER OFFICER GRADE DETERMINATION (OGD) REBUTTALS

Military Defense Lawyer (Former JAG Attorney) News:

Recently, two senior military officers represented by attorney Richard V. Stevens (Military Defense Law Offices of Richard V. Stevens, P.C.) retired honorably from the military, at the highest ranks they served, after successfully rebutting the Officer Grade Determination (OGD) actions they faced.

When an officer retires from the military, but faces an investigation or disciplinary action prior to retirement, an OGD action can be triggered. In an OGD action, the service branch Secretary or designee determines what rank to retire the officer in, and considers what highest rank the officer held “satisfactorily.” In other words, the officer can retire at a lower rank than he/she held while serving.

In these two cases, both officers received disciplinary actions based on alleged misconduct prior to hiring our firm. We were hired by the officers when they applied for retirement and received their formal OGD notifications.

In response to the OGD notifications, we submitted compelling rebuttal packages, which detailed the quality service each officer provided to the military at the highest rank they served in. Given the nature of the alleged misconduct in both cases, however, the potential outcome of the OGD was far from certain. Ultimately, after consideration of our rebuttal packages, each of the officers was retired at the highest military rank they served in.

Because these were administrative cases, more details cannot be provided to protect the clients’ privacy interests.

While these two military OGD cases were 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 involving administrative appeal actions, see:

https://militaryadvocate.com/practice-areas/b-c-m-r-other-military-appellate-boards/

We offer free consultations for a case you may be involved in. Just call us.

Thank you.

Military Defense Law Offices of Richard V. Stevens, P.C.

Civilian Criminal Defense Lawyer and Military Defense Lawyer

https://militaryadvocate.com/

Thursday, October 09, 2025

CIVILIAN COURT-MARTIAL DEFENSE LAWYER: MILITARY NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER REPRESENTED BY ATTORNEY RICHARD V. STEVENS HAS VIOLATION OF LAWFUL GENERAL ORDERS AND MALTREATMENT CASE DROPPED (UCMJ ARTICLE 92 AND ARTICLE 93)

Military Defense Lawyer (Former JAG Attorney) News:

Recently, a military noncommissioned officer (NCO) defended by attorney Richard V. Stevens (Military Defense Law Offices of Richard V. Stevens, P.C.) had the violation of lawful orders and maltreatment court-martial case he faced dropped by the military after the Article 32 hearing (UCMJ Articles 92 & 93).

The military client was accused of, and investigated for, allegedly maltreating two trainees. He faced court-martial charges and the case proceeded to a pre-trial Article 32 hearing. Ultimately, after the Article 32 hearing concluded, the military dropped the court-martial case against the client and he continued on in his military career.

In the military justice system, if the government intends to proceed to a general court-martial (felony type criminal trial), they must first go through an Article 32 hearing in which a field grade JAG serving as a Preliminary Hearing Officer (PHO) hears evidence and testimony and then makes a non-binding recommendation about how the case should be handled. That recommendation does not need to be followed by the government. Regardless of the recommendation, the government is authorized to proceed to trial by general court-martial after the Article 32 hearing if they believe it is warranted.

In this case, the allegations were not supported by the witnesses. This was presented by the defense at the Article 32 hearing, and immediately after the hearing. That is what led to the charges and court-martial case being dropped. Had there been a court-martial trial and conviction in this case, the client could have been sentenced to a punitive discharge (Dishonorable Discharge or Bad Conduct Discharge) and a term of confinement in prison. Thankfully, the case was dropped and the client proceeded on in his military career.

For more information about the military justice system, please see:

https://militaryadvocate.com/practice-areas/courts-martial-trials/

We offer free consultations for a case you may be involved in. Just call us.

Thank you.

Attorney Richard V. Stevens

Civilian criminal defense lawyer and military defense lawyer

Military Defense Law Offices of Richard V. Stevens, P.C.

https://militaryadvocate.com/