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.) who had
previously received a disputed administrative disciplinary action retired
honorably from the military, at the highest rank he held.
Because this was an administrative case, there are Privacy Act
issues and regulations that preclude the reporting of specific
details. However, what can be generally described is…
This case began as a very serious criminal investigation, in
which the client was accused of a crime he did not commit. The investigation seemed to be based more on assumptions
than any fact or evidence that was objectively incriminating. After a very lengthy investigation, no court-martial
charges were preferred, and the criminal aspect of the case was dropped. A low-level administrative disciplinary
action was taken due to an ancillary issue.
During the course of the investigation, the accused officer’s
retirement was placed on hold. After the
case was concluded, and when the client applied to retire, an Officer Grade
Determination (OGD) was triggered and Attorney Stevens represented the client
in that action. In response to the OGD notification, the defense
submitted a rebuttal detailing the exemplary service of the officer at the
highest rank he held. After consideration at the Secretary level,
the senior officer client was notified that he would retire at the highest rank
he held.
He now moves on to the next chapter in his life, without the
stain of a reduced retirement rank along with the significant financial penalty
of such a retirement reduction. While the defense was successful in
this military case, it is important to understand that every case has different
facts, and success in some previous case(s) does not guarantee success in any particular
future case. No military lawyer or civilian defense lawyer,
including those who specialize in military law as we do, can guarantee the
outcome of any military case.
For more information about the military justice system,
particularly administrative disciplinary cases, please see:
https://militaryadvocate.com/practice-areas/administrative-discipline-actions/
https://militaryadvocate.com/practice-areas/article-15-njp-captains-mast-office-hours/
https://militaryadvocate.com/practice-areas/administrative-dischargeseparation/
https://militaryadvocate.com/practice-areas/performance-report-appeals/
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.
