Military Defense Lawyer
(Former JAG Attorney) News:
Recently,
a senior (retirement eligible) military noncommissioned officer who was tried
by general court-martial for charges alleging physical assault (UCMJ Article
128), aggravated sexual assault (UCMJ Article 120), and forcible oral sodomy
(UCMJ Article 125) 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 all charges and specifications. During the 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, dishonorable discharge, total
forfeitures of pay and allowances, and sex offender registration would have
been required.
For
clients represented by civilian court-martial defense attorney Richard V.
Stevens, this case was the third straight full acquittal in the past 60 days in
military cases alleging rape or sexual assault (UCMJ Article 120).
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.
