Notable Cases

Civilian criminal defense attorney Richard V. Stevens has represented military members accused of the most serious criminal offenses and has represented military clients stationed around the world.

Over more than three decades of handling military cases, Attorney Richard V. Stevens is perhaps most widely known for successfully defending military clients facing murder/manslaughter allegations, rape and sexual assault allegations, or allegations arising out of combat actions (“war crimes”). Those cases have sparked the most media attention, but there are so many other types of military allegations, adverse actions, and cases that he has handled over the years.

Attorney Stevens has defended clients stationed throughout the United States (CONUS) and overseas (OCONUS), including the United Kingdom (England), Germany, Turkey, Italy, Europe, Korea, Japan, Qatar, Iraq and Afghanistan – including those engaged in combat operations in several countries in the Middle East. While we can’t list all of the military law cases and courts-martial we have defended over the years, we can provide a representative sample and some notable cases, as described below.

These notable cases have included, for example, murder cases, manslaughter cases, and alleged sexual offense cases. Based on the current emphasis on sexual offense cases in the military, attorney Richard V. Stevens is considered a subject matter expert in military rape and sexual assault cases – having defended countless such cases over the years with successful results. He has also been in contact with members of Congress, and/or their staffs, over these issues and has been sought by media outlets as an expert in the subject.

These notable cases have also included many senior officer and senior enlisted cases, as well as cases involving classified information, combat operations, and special operations missions. Attorney Richard V. Stevens has litigated military cases in front of panels that have included general officers, and one panel that was entirely made up of general officers.

To list just some types of the notable cases handled by attorney Richard V. Stevens over the years, he has represented numerous military clients accused of murder (and other degrees of homicide), sex offenses with adult and minor/child complainants including rape, sexual assault, consensual sexual offenses (i.e. adultery and fraternization), drug offenses (use, possession, distribution), computer crimes (i.e. unauthorized use of government computers and accessing adult and child pornography), “war crimes” and accusations of offenses committed during deployments for combat operations, national security cases and cases involving classified information, adverse actions involving Anthrax immunizations, COVID immunizations, military academy offenses, senior officer cases, MEB/PEB cases, IG investigations, medical credentials actions and corrections of military records (BCMR).

Some of Mr. Stevens’ representative cases/clients have included:

In 2018-2019, Mr. Stevens Defended four senior, retirement eligible, colonels (O-6) who were accused of rape/sexual assault in four different military cases and locations – and there were no convictions for alleged sexual assault obtained by the prosecution in any of those four cases.

• Defended countless male and female military members accused of rape and/or sexual assault and other sex offenses
• Defended military academy cadets accused of rape, sexual assault and sex offenses
• Defended military academy cadets accused of drug use/possession/distribution
• Defended E-2 accused of sexual assault with intent to murder
• Defended E-2 accused of serial rapes
• Defended E-3 accused of manslaughter in DUI accident
• Defended E-4 accused of embezzling approx. $1million
• Defended E-4 accused of forcible sodomy
• Defended E-4 accused of the premeditated murder of a child
• Defended E-5 accused of (“war crime”) premeditated murder of al-Qaeda terrorist insurgent in Iraq
• Defended E-5 accused of rape of foreign national in country of origin
• Defended E-5 accused of maltreatment of subordinate in Iraq
• Defended E-6 and E-7 accused of military testing compromise
• Defended E-6 accused of rape and sexual assault of child
• Defended E-7 accused of maltreatment and assault in Afghanistan
• Defended E-7 accused of murdering his wife
• Defended E-6 accused of rape and sexual assault of child
• Defended E-9 accused of sexual assault of child
• Defended E-9 accused of travel voucher fraud
• Defended multiple E-9s accused of rape and/or sexual assault
• Defended O-1 accused of murdering child
• Defended O-1 accused of rape and sexual assault of multiple women
• Defended O-3 accused of (“war crime”) solicitation to commit premeditated murder of al-Qaeda terrorist insurgents in Iraq
• Defended O-3 accused of premeditated murder of wife
• Defended O-3 accused of drug use/distribution
• Defended O-3 accused of sexual misconduct and assault
• Defended O-3 accused of assault with a deadly weapon
• Defended O-3 accused of travel voucher fraud
• Defended O-4 accused of rape, sexual assault and sexual misconduct
• Defended O-4 accused of sexual misconduct with subordinate
• Defended O-4 accused of drug use
• Defended O-4 accused of BAH and entitlement fraud (travel voucher fraud)
• Defended O-5 accused of sexual misconduct
• Defended O-5 accused of sexual assault
• Defended O-5 accused of contract fraud
• Defended O-5 accused of sexual assault of child
• Defended O-6 accused of sexual assault of subordinate
• Defended O-6 accused of sexual misconduct
• Defended O-6 accused of sexual misconduct and accessing adult and child pornography on government computers
• Defended O-7 (select) in IG investigation alleging maltreatment and financial misconduct
• Defended O-7 in IG investigation alleging reprisal actions
• Defended O-7 eligible reservist in command investigation and disciplinary action
• Defended O-8 accused of maltreating subordinate
• Defended several elite special operations clients and special forces clients, including cases requiring classified hearings and security manager oversight
• Defended multiple cases involving classified information and national security issues

Click here to review descriptions of some of attorney Richard V. Stevens’ notable cases.
Click here to review descriptions of some of attorney Frank J. Spinner’s notable cases.