Carlisle Barracks Military Defense Lawyer

If you are a military member stationed at Carlisle Barracks who has been accused of violating the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), you could face serious consequences.  These effects could include a military disciplinary action, administrative discharge, or, if sufficiently serious, a court-martial trial.  If you face a military court-martial and you are found guilty, you could have a federal criminal conviction and you could be sentenced to confinement in prison, a punitive discharge, loss of rank, and face other collateral consequences such as loss of retirement and benefits, reimbursement or recoupment for unserved commitments, and sex offender registration if you face that type of case.

Attorney Richard V. Stevens has handled military cases, on and off active duty, since 1995.  Those military cases have included allegations of national security breaches, war crimes, rape, sexual assault, fraternization, other sex-related offenses, murder, manslaughter, computer crimes and pornography, fraud and larceny, drug offenses, desertion cases, and more.

Many of these types of cases are complex and high profile, requiring expert consultants and witnesses, media strategies, and experience with such serious cases.  If you face a military case, your career, future, and freedom could be in jeopardy.  An experienced and aggressive attorney could make a real difference in the outcome of your case.  Mr. Stevens represents military members stationed around the world, CONUS and OCONUS.  He has represented many military members stationed at Carlisle Barracks over the years.

If you are facing a military case, contact civilian attorney Richard Stevens, a Carlisle Barracks military defense lawyer at the Law Offices of Richard V. Stevens, by calling (888) 399-0693, emailing , or visiting our webpage to schedule a consultation as soon as possible.

What a Carlisle Barracks Military Defense Lawyer Can Help You With

In general, the code of conduct in the UCMJ is much stricter than the code of conduct in most sets of criminal laws. All branches of military services strictly enforce discipline. Usually, commanders don’t tolerate any deviant behavior. Even a seemingly minor infraction could result in severe punishment, up to dishonorable separation from the military and even imprisonment.

To help accused servicemembers deal with these possibly harsh consequences, at the Law Offices of Richard V. Stevens, our Carlisle Barracks military defense lawyers handle a wide range of matters, including:

• Alleged violations of the punitive Articles of the UCMJ
• Administrative discharges (separations)
• Courts-martial (summary court-martial, special court-martial, general court-martial)
• Article 32 hearings
• Article 15 actions (nonjudicial punishment, NJP)
• Reprimands or admonitions
• Military investigations (AR 15-6, CDI, CID, NCIS, OSI, CGIS, MEO, IG, etc.)
• Military academy discipline
• And more.

Our professional team does more than stand up for your legal rights when military justice authorities threaten them. We also thoroughly investigate these matters and ensure your rights were protected throughout the process. Furthermore, we continually give you solid legal advice, so you can make the best possible choices for yourself, your family, and your future.

Why Hire a Civilian Defense Attorney for a Military Case?

No civilian defense attorney or experienced military defense lawyer can guarantee you an outcome in your military case. The benefit of hiring experienced civilian defense attorneys like the attorneys at the Law Offices of Richard V. Stevens is that we have years and years of military law experience beyond that of your appointed military defense counsel. When hired, we then become considerable “value added” for your defense team, and our experience can benefit all phases of your military case – advising you, spotting legal issues, filing rebuttals and motions, engaging in disciplinary or pretrial negotiations, communicating with JAGs representing the commanders or investigators, dealing with the media, preparing case strategy, and performing in hearings and trial (including arguments, witness questioning, utilizing experts).

When considering hiring a civilian defense lawyer for a military case, we believe it is extremely important for that civilian attorney to have extensive experience with the military justice system.  The military justice system is governed by their own laws, regulations, and procedural rules. Those laws and rules are constantly changing. The military also has a culture that is unique and, in many ways, very different than civilian society.  These legal and cultural differences factor heavily into all aspects of defense strategy.  The attorneys in our law firm served in the military and only handle military cases – and we have done so for decades – garnering crucial military justice experience.

Different Types of Military Courts-Martial

Since there are several levels of infractions in the UCMJ, there are several types of court-martial proceedings.

• Summary Court-Martial: Back in the day, summary courts-martial, which were called drumhead courts-martial because an officer turned over a drum on the battlefield and dispensed justice, were quite common. Today, they’re rare. Basically, a summary court-martial is a step above Article 15 punishment, which is discussed below. A JAG officer usually conducts this administrative proceeding, and individuals facing Article 15 may benefit from seeking the guidance of an experienced Article 15 defense lawyer to navigate the complexities of the legal process.
• Special Court-Martial: This intermediate level has two subparts. Sometimes, the participants include a military judge, prosecutor (trial counsel), Carlisle Barracks military defense counsel, and a four-member panel, which acts as a jury. The other type is a non-panel (non-jury) court-martial. Panel special courts-martial have jurisdiction over offenses with a maximum twelve months’ confinement, pay forfeiture, bad conduct discharge, and rank reduction. The maximum in a non-panel special court-martial is six months’ confinement.
• General Court-Martial: The highest court-martial level consists of a military judge, trial counsel, defense counsel, and six to eight court members. These bodies may consider all UCMJ infractions, regardless of the punishment level. The accused is entitled to an Article 32 pretrial investigation in a general court-martial.

The military does not label convictions as “felonies” or “misdemeanors.”  However, a general court-martial conviction is similar to a felony conviction, and a special court-martial conviction is similar to a misdemeanor conviction.

Article 15 or Nonjudicial Punishment

One of the most common types of administrative military disciplinary actions is an Article 15.  Depending on your service branch, an Article 15 might be called “Nonjudicial Punishment,” “N.J.P.,” “Office Hours,” or “Captain’s Mast.”  An Article 15 hearing is an administrative hearing under UCMJ Article 15.  It is not a criminal trial.  It cannot result in a federal conviction.  Article 15 punishments do not include prison time.  Despite this, Article 15s are serious military disciplinary actions.

Being found guilty under Article 15 could cause you to lose rank, lose promotions, be removed from your duty position, get less desirable future assignments, receive a negative performance report, receive a reduced military retirement grade, and/or even lead to an administrative discharge (separation) from the military.

Contact a Carlisle Barracks Military Defense Lawyer Today

If you are stationed at Carlisle Barracks and you face a military investigation, military disciplinary action, administrative discharge (separation), adverse administrative hearing, or court-martial because of allegations against you in the military justice system, you need an experienced defense attorney on your side. These military adverse actions could have significant negative impacts for your career and life.  Your decision about who will represent you is extremely important.

Contact a civilian defense attorney serving as a Carlisle Barracks military defense lawyer at the Law Offices of Richard V. Stevens today by calling (888) 399-0693, emailing us at , or contacting us through our website to set up an initial consultation.