We defend service members accused of crimes under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Our law firm has been doing it since 2005, and before that we did it on active duty as Air Force JAGs.
The charges we handle are the kinds that can end careers, send people to prison, and impose consequences that follow people for life. Sexual assault. Child exploitation. Domestic violence. Homicide. Drug offenses. Fraud. Officer misconduct. If it can be charged at a general or special court-martial, we have defended it.
Below is a summary of what we do. Each section links to a detailed page where we explain the law, the charges, and how we approach the defense.
Sexual Assault and Sex Offenses
Article 120 cases are the center of gravity in military criminal law. They draw the most investigative resources, the most political pressure and prosecutorial attention, and the harshest sentencing exposure of any UCMJ offense. A conviction for rape carries a maximum of life without parole. Sexual assault carries up to 30 years. Both require a mandatory minimum of a dishonorable discharge or dismissal, and both trigger sex offender registration.
We have defended Article 120 cases in every branch of service, at bases across the country and overseas, for over two decades. These are often built on contested facts (alcohol, ambiguity, conflicting accounts, delayed reports) and they require a defense team that understands how to challenge forensic evidence, cross-examine complaining witnesses, and expose weaknesses in the government’s theory of the case.
Our sex offense practice covers:
Article 120, Rape and Sexual Assault. The core statute covering rape, sexual assault, aggravated sexual contact, and abusive sexual contact against adult victims.
Article 120b, Sexual Offenses Against Children. Offenses against victims under 16, including sexual abuse of a child and indecent acts with a child.
Articles 117a and 120c, Intimate Images and Other Sexual Misconduct. Distribution of intimate images without consent, indecent exposure, and indecent viewing. These charges often accompany Article 120 allegations or appear on their own.
Sexual Harassment, Article 93a. A newer offense under the UCMJ, covering unwelcome sexual conduct by a person who abuses or exceeds the authority of their rank, position, or duty assignment.
“Stealth” Sex Offenses. Some of the most dangerous charges in the UCMJ are the ones that do not look like sex offenses on paper but carry sex offender registration consequences. We explain what to watch for.
Mistake of Fact Defense. The accused’s honest and reasonable belief that the other person consented is the most common defense in Article 120 cases. We break down how it works, when it applies, and where the case law draws the line.
Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM)
CSAM cases are prosecuted under Article 134 and carry devastating consequences: confinement, a punitive discharge, and sex offender registration. These cases typically begin with a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) or a forensic examination of a service member’s device during an unrelated investigation.
The forensic complexity of CSAM cases is substantial. Charges can arise from files the accused did not know existed on a device, from cached images generated by web browsing, from peer-to-peer software installed by a previous user, or from files that were viewed but never saved. The difference between possession, receipt, distribution, and production carries enormous sentencing implications, and the government does not always draw the line correctly.
We also handle cases at the intersection of AI-generated imagery, sextortion, and CSAM, an area of law that is evolving and poorly understood by most practitioners.
CSAM and the UCMJ, Overview. How these cases are investigated, charged, and defended.
Article 134 and CSAM. The charging vehicle for CSAM offenses, including possession, distribution, and production.
How CSAM Cases Are Prosecuted and Defended. A detailed walkthrough of the forensic and legal issues in these cases.
Sextortion, AI, and CSAM. The emerging threat of AI-generated imagery and how sextortion schemes produce UCMJ exposure for service members.
CSAM Terminology Guide. A plain-language reference for the technical and legal terms used in these cases.
Violent Crimes
Violent crime charges under the UCMJ range from simple assault to premeditated murder. The cases we handle most frequently in this category are domestic violence under Article 128b and child abuse under Article 119b, both of which are now “covered offenses” under the OSTC’s exclusive jurisdiction. Assault cases under Article 128 are also common, particularly among enlisted personnel.
Homicide cases, Articles 118 and 119, are rare, but when they arise, the exposure is as severe as it gets. We have defended homicide cases and are prepared to do so again.
Domestic Violence, Article 128b. Created in 2022, this article consolidates domestic violence offenses into a single statute. A conviction can trigger federal firearms prohibitions and will end a military career.
Child Abuse, Article 119b. Covers assault, cruelty, maltreatment, and indecent conduct directed at a child. These charges often accompany domestic violence allegations and carry significant confinement exposure.
Assault, Article 128. Simple assault, assault consummated by a battery, and aggravated assault. The range of conduct covered by this article is broad, and the sentencing exposure varies accordingly.
Homicide, Articles 118 and 119. Murder and manslaughter under the UCMJ.
Disobedience, AWOL, and Article 133
Charges for absence without leave, failure to obey orders, and conduct unbecoming an officer can be career-ending without carrying the confinement exposure of a violent crime or sex offense. But they are no less serious to the person facing them, and they deserve the same quality of defense.
**AWOL and Desertion.** Unauthorized absence charges under Articles 86 and 85. The difference between AWOL and desertion is the intent to remain away permanently, a distinction that can be the difference between an administrative action, a Special Court-Martial, and a General Court-Martial (in effect a felony).
Disobedience and Military Standards. Willful disobedience, refusal or failure to obey orders and regulations, and related offenses.
Article 133, Conduct Unbecoming an Officer. An officer-only offense that covers conduct the military considers disgraceful or dishonorable. The statute is broad, the charging decisions are often subjective, and the consequences include dismissal, the officer equivalent of a dishonorable discharge. Officer cases are handled at the General Court-Martial level, which means they equate to felony cases, even for minor misconduct.
Drug Offenses
Article 112a is the primary drug offense statute in the UCMJ. It covers use, possession, distribution, manufacture, and importation of controlled substances. Most drug cases in the military begin with a failed urinalysis, and the government treats a positive test result as presumptive proof of wrongful use.
But urinalysis results are not self-proving, and the science behind drug testing is more contested than most commanders realize. Chain of custody errors, laboratory procedures, passive exposure, unknowing ingestion, and the unreliability of certain metabolite thresholds are all legitimate areas of challenge. We have defended drug cases involving every substance the military tests for.
Article 112a, Drug Offenses. The statute, the elements, the defenses, and what the government has to prove.
Fraud and Financial Crimes
Fraud cases under the UCMJ are charged under Articles 121 (larceny and wrongful appropriation), 132 (fraud), and 107 (false official statements). These range from BAH fraud and travel voucher manipulation to large-scale theft from government programs. False official statements, Article 107, often appear as add-on charges in cases where the accused lied during an investigation, even when the underlying conduct would not otherwise be criminal.
Articles 107, 121, and 132, Fraud and Financial Crimes. Larceny, fraud against the government, and false official statements.
The Court-Martial Process
If you are facing a court-martial, you should understand how the process works before you make any decisions about your defense. We wrote a comprehensive guide that explains the system from investigation through trial, in language that does not require a law degree to follow.
Court-Martial Guide in Plain English. What happens at each stage, what your rights are, and where the critical decision points lie.
Article 32 Preliminary Hearing. Why you should almost never waive this hearing, and how we use it as a tool to change the trajectory of a case.
Call Us
If you are under investigation or facing charges under the UCMJ, call 800-319-3134 for a free consultation. We defend service members at every rank, in every branch, at bases across the United States and overseas.