Recently, a senior field grade military officer defended by attorney Richard V. Stevens (Military Defense Law Offices of Richard V. Stevens, P.C.) was cleared of the misconduct alleged against him as the unit commander. Because this was an administrative disciplinary case, there are Privacy Act issues and regulations that preclude the reporting of specific details. However, what can be generally described is… The senior military officer client was investigated for alleged professional wrongdoing that received public attention. The investigation that followed seemed to be driven by a desire for ..read more

Many law firms, including ours, offer free initial consultations. People sometimes mistake “free initial consultation” as meaning “free legal advice.” Free initial consultation with a lawyer is not the same as free legal advice. As lawyers handling criminal or disciplinary cases, we should not, and do not, offer free legal advice to someone who is not our client after a short telephone call or email exchange. That would be very ill-informed and dangerous for both the attorney and the caller, and could even be unethical, depending upon the situation. Initial consultations are simply meant as an ..read more

Recently, a senior military officer defended by attorney Richard V. Stevens had the sexual assault of a minor court-martial case he faced dismissed and dropped by the military in the middle of trial (UCMJ Article 120) When the allegations were made, the senior officer client was in the midst of a protracted and bitter divorce and custody dispute. His former wife sought full custody of their children, and not only refused shared custody, she refused to comply with the court-ordered shared child custody plan. She amassed thousands of dollars of fines from the civilian family court as she refused ..read more

Recently, a senior military officer defended by attorney Richard V. Stevens 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 t ..read more

Recently, a military officer defended by attorney Richard V. Stevens who was accused of, and investigated for, alleged larceny (UCMJ Article 121), fraudulent PCS vouchers (UCMJ Article 132), and false official statements (UCMJ Article 107) had the case against him dropped and he was cleared to continue his military career. The military officer client was accused of these offenses after a PCS move in which the vouchers filed were questioned by military investigators. Military regulations regarding reimbursable expenses and entitlements can be complicated, and sometimes military investigators do ..read more

Recently, two enlisted military members defended by attorney Richard V. Stevens (Military Defense Law Offices of Richard V. Stevens, P.C.) had the sexual assault cases they faced dropped by the military before court-martial charges were preferred against them (UCMJ Article 120). The first military client was a non-commissioned officer who was accused of sexual assault by another military member who had a casual dating relationship with the accused military member. As happens more and more frequently in military cases, the text messages they sent to each other told the real story, and led to th ..read more

What are the possible court-martial punishments? They vary, depending upon the type of court-martial you face, and the allegations you face. Summary courts-martial and special courts-martial have limits on the authorized punishment based on that type of court. For general courts-martial, the punishment limitations are based on what is authorized for each specific allegation you face. Any court-martial punishment at any level can have serious negative impacts on your military career and your future. You need the most effective defense possible to try to avoid or mitigate these negative impacts ..read more

Recently, a military noncommissioned officer (NCO) defended by attorney Richard V. Stevens (Military Defense Law Offices of Richard V. Stevens, P.C.) had the assault and sexual harassment court-martial case he faced dropped by the military. The client was accused of assault and sexual harassment, and was facing a court-martial trial. The case had proceeded past the motion hearing, and was scheduled for trial, when the defense made a request to drop the court-martial case, and to handle the case administratively instead. The first defense request was rejected. However, with trial approaching im ..read more

Recently, a military noncommissioned officer (NCO) defended by attorney Richard V. Stevens (Military Defense Law Offices of Richard V. Stevens, P.C.) had the sexual assault court-martial case he faced dropped by the military (UCMJ Article 120). The client was accused of sexual assault by two different women who he had relationships with that ended badly and resulted in child custody disputes. The client was formally charged by the military with sexual assault, and his case proceeded to a pretrial Article 32 hearing. The initial complainant had a documented history of lying and being discipline ..read more

What are the possible court-martial punishments? They vary, depending upon the type of court-martial you face, and the allegations you face. Summary courts-martial and special courts-martial have limits on the authorized punishment based on that type of court. For general courts-martial, the punishment limitations are based on what is authorized for each specific allegation you face. Any court-martial punishment at any level can have serious negative impacts on your military career and your future. You need the most effective defense possible to try to avoid or mitigate these negative impacts ..read more