Military Defense Lawyer (Former JAG Attorney)
News:
Recently, a military officer who was tried by general court-martial for
charges alleging aggravated sexual assault (alleged nonconsensual, forcible intercourse) and
indecent conduct was fully acquitted by the military court panel
(“jury”). The accused military member was defended by military law
attorney Richard V. Stevens (Military Defense Law Offices of Richard V.
Stevens, P.C.).
The
accused military client pled not guilty to the charge and specifications. During the nearly 4 day fully litigated
court-martial trial, the defense exposed issues regarding inconsistent stories about the alleged events,
the credibility of the accuser, and the believability of the allegations. Based on the testimony and evidence in the
case, the court members found the client not guilty of all charges and
specifications in the case (full acquittal). The maximum authorized
punishment for a court-martial conviction on the allegations in this case would
have included decades in prison, dismissal (equivalent of dishonorable
discharge), total forfeitures of pay and allowances, and sex offender
registration would have been required.
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 on the military justice
system, including military cases alleging rape and sexual assault (UCMJ Article 120), please see our other blog posts, including:
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: Attorney Frank J. Spinner and I (attorney Richard V. Stevens) are
former active duty military lawyers (JAG). Our perspectives and advice,
therefore, are based upon our experience as military defense lawyers and as
civilian criminal defense lawyers 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 and The Law Office of Frank J.
Spinner for a free consultation. These military defense law offices are located
in Colorado Springs, Colorado and Southern New Jersey, but the military defense
representation is worldwide – when necessary, the attorneys travel to wherever
the client is stationed.