Army Court-Martial Lawyer | Civilian Defense for Soldiers

Army Court-Martial Lawyers: Michael Waddington & Alexandra González-Waddington

Elite Military Defense Lawyers defends service members in army court-martial and related UCMJ matters worldwide.

By Michael Waddington, civilian Army court-martial lawyer, former Army JAG, and co-founder of Gonzalez & Waddington · Reviewed by Alexandra González-Waddington, co-founder · Last reviewed: October 1, 2026

Army court-martial lawyers at Gonzalez & Waddington

Gonzalez & Waddington is based in Weston, Florida, and travels to every Army installation. Travel is included in our flat fee. The first consultation is by phone or video, and the lawyer you speak with is the lawyer who will stand beside you at trial.

Who we are	Gonzalez & Waddington, a civilian military defense law firm founded by Michael Waddington and Alexandra González-Waddington, defending Soldiers since 2003.
What we defend	General and special courts-martial, CID and command investigations, Article 32 hearings, Article 15, GOMORs, AR 15-6 rebuttals, separation boards, officer elimination, and security clearance actions.
Where we defend	Every Army installation in the United States and overseas, including Fort Bragg, Fort Hood, Fort Stewart, Fort Campbell, Fort Carson, Fort Bliss, JBLM, Germany, Italy, Korea, and Japan.
How we work with TDS	Under Article 38, your detailed Trial Defense Service counsel stays on the case as associate counsel. We lead the strategy and work alongside them.
Fees	Flat fee, quoted in writing before you decide, including travel. Payment plans available.
Contact	1-800-921-8607 · Text 954-799-4019

How we defend Army cases before a charge sheet exists

Most Army cases begin with CID, military police, civilian law enforcement, a commander’s inquiry under Rule for Courts-Martial 303, or an AR 15-6 investigation. The Soldier is flagged under AR 600-8-2, issued a military protective order on DD Form 2873, moved out of the barracks or off the leadership position, and interviewed, all before anyone has decided whether to prefer charges. Trial Defense Service usually is not detailed until preferral, which can be months away.

At Gonzalez & Waddington, we treat the investigation, the court-martial, the GOMOR, the Article 15, the evaluation, the clearance, and the separation as one strategic problem, because the facts travel between them. A statement given to avoid a GOMOR becomes prosecution evidence. A CID interview shapes the Article 15. An AR 15-6 finding is quoted in the preferral and again at the board. Our first job is to stop the client from talking, preserve the evidence that helps, find out what the government has, and present our side through counsel so that no statement by the Soldier ever exists.

Many of our best Army results are cases that never reached a charge sheet, because we engaged with CID and the command legal office while the investigation was still open. That window closes at preferral.

Army CID investigations

Army CID investigates sexual assault, homicide, domestic violence, child offenses, drug distribution, larceny and BAH fraud, and computer crimes. Agents request an interview, consent to search a phone or quarters, a passcode, or a polygraph. Under Article 31(b) of the UCMJ, a Soldier suspected of an offense must be told the nature of the accusation and the right to remain silent before questioning, and under Military Rule of Evidence 304 a statement taken in violation of Article 31 is inadmissible.

Our advice is the same in every CID case: decline the interview, refuse consent under Military Rule of Evidence 314, and let us talk to the agent. CID does not decide whether you are charged; your commander, or for covered offenses the Office of Special Trial Counsel, does, based on the report CID writes. We work to shape that report, by presenting evidence through counsel, before it lands on anyone’s desk.

See Under Investigation: Military Lawyer for the full rights framework.

General, special, and summary courts-martial in the Army

The Army uses the three courts defined in Article 16. A general court-martial, convened by a division or corps commander, can impose any punishment authorized by the Manual for Courts-Martial, up to life and a dishonorable discharge, and requires an Article 32 preliminary hearing before referral. A special court-martial is capped at twelve months of confinement and a bad-conduct discharge, or six months and no discharge in the judge-alone special under Article 16(c)(2)(A). A summary court-martial is a single officer, a maximum of thirty days, no discharge, and can be refused.

Forum	Composition	How Gonzalez & Waddington approaches it
General court-martial	Military judge and eight members, or judge alone on request.	Full Article 32, defense experts, suppression and 412 motions, panel selection, and a sentencing case built from day one.
Special court-martial	Military judge and four members, or an authorized judge-alone forum.	Fight the forum itself before referral, then the conviction and the punitive discharge.
Summary court-martial	One commissioned officer.	Advise on refusing and demanding trial, which often ends a weak case; appear with the Soldier if accepted.

We calculate the maximum punishment specification by specification under the current Manual, and we fight forum first, because a case moved from a general to a special court-martial has a different ceiling and a different future.

Preferral, Article 32, referral, and the Office of Special Trial Counsel

Army charges are preferred under oath on the DD Form 458 under Rule for Courts-Martial 307, which starts the 120-day speedy-trial clock under Rule 707. For a general court-martial, Article 32 requires a preliminary hearing before referral unless the accused waives it. We almost never waive it. The hearing forces discovery, locks witnesses into sworn testimony, and produces a report that the referral authority reads.

Since December 2023, the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel, not the commander, decides whether to refer covered offenses, including sexual assault under Article 120, domestic violence under Article 128b, and child pornography. Pre-referral advocacy in those cases is directed to the special trial counsel, and it has to be built on evidence, not argument. We have presented defense submissions to special trial counsel across the Army and had cases declined or referred to lesser forums as a result.

Read our full explanation of preferral versus referral and the Article 32 preliminary hearing.

Article 120 and serious Army cases

Article 120 prosecutions are the largest share of Army general courts-martial and the largest share of our trial work. They turn on alcohol and capacity, consent and mistake of fact under Rule for Courts-Martial 916(j), text messages before and after, SANE findings, DNA, toxicology, and the accuser’s prior statements. Military Rules of Evidence 412, 413, and 513 decide what the panel hears, and those motions are where Article 120 cases are won or lost before trial.

Gonzalez & Waddington has won Article 120 acquittals at Army general courts-martial at Fort Bragg, Fort Hood, Fort Stewart, Fort Campbell, Vilseck, and Camp Humphreys. Our approach is the same in each: build the timeline from objective records, retain the toxicologist or forensic examiner the case needs under Rule for Courts-Martial 703, litigate the 412 and 513 motions early, and cross-examine on the versions of the account rather than on character.

We bring the same method to homicide and assault cases, which require pathology, self-defense, and scene reconstruction; to larceny and BAH fraud under Articles 121 and 107, which turn on intent and finance records; and to online sting and child pornography cases under Article 134, which turn on entrapment, attribution, and digital forensics. See Article 120 UCMJ defense and CSAM and online sting defense.

How we try Army cases: forum, motions, and experts

Forum is the client’s decision, made with us, case by case. We choose members when the case turns on credibility and reasonable doubt, and a judge when the defense is legal or the facts are ugly. Army panels are selected under Article 25 and convict by three-fourths, and we have tried cases in front of the judges who sit at Fort Bragg, Fort Hood, Fort Stewart, JBLM, Vilseck, and Humphreys, which matters when the question is which forum to pick.

Our motions practice covers suppression of statements under Article 31, suppression of searches under Military Rules of Evidence 311 through 317, dismissal for speedy-trial violations and unlawful command influence, multiplicity and charge defects, and the 412 and 513 litigation that governs an Article 120 trial. Every motion we file is meant to change the case, not to show activity.

We retain experts early: digital forensic examiners, toxicologists, DNA analysts, forensic psychologists, and accident reconstructionists, and we obtain government funding for them under Rule for Courts-Martial 703 whenever the showing can be made.

AR 15-6, Article 15, GOMOR, and separation

Army administrative actions run alongside the criminal case and usually outlast it. An AR 15-6 investigation substantiates allegations by a preponderance, and its findings become the basis for a GOMOR under AR 600-37, a relief for cause under AR 600-20, a referred evaluation under AR 623-3, enlisted separation under AR 635-200, or officer elimination under AR 600-8-24. Most Army careers end on the administrative track, not in a courtroom.

We handle these as part of the same case. The AR 15-6 rebuttal is due within days of the findings being referred; the GOMOR rebuttal within seven; the Article 15 decision within a few more. A Soldier cannot deny an allegation at trial and apologize for it in a GOMOR rebuttal, so we coordinate every document. See AR 15-6 Investigating Officer Wants to Interview Me, Article 15 Lawyer, and GOMOR Rebuttal.

Working with Army Trial Defense Service

Army Trial Defense Service provides detailed military defense counsel at no cost for courts-martial, Article 32 hearings, Article 15 advice, and separation boards. TDS lawyers are capable, independent of the local command, and carrying heavy caseloads. Under Article 38(b) and Rule for Courts-Martial 506, when a Soldier retains civilian counsel the detailed TDS counsel remains on the case as associate counsel unless the Soldier excuses them.

We have worked alongside hundreds of TDS attorneys. In a typical contested case, Gonzalez & Waddington leads the strategy, the investigation, the major motions, the Article 32, the negotiations, and the key cross-examinations; TDS handles local filings, witness production through military channels, government-funded expert requests, and the day-to-day contact with the trial counsel. Both lawyers sit at the table at trial. Read our comparison of civilian versus JAG defense counsel.

Sentencing, punitive discharge, and Army career consequences

Since 2019, the military judge sentences under Article 53 unless the accused elects members, guided since December 2023 by sentencing parameters. A general court-martial conviction can bring confinement, total forfeitures, reduction to E-1, and a dishonorable discharge; for officers, dismissal. Specified Article 120 and 120b convictions require a dishonorable discharge or dismissal under Article 56. Convictions for sexual offenses require sex offender registration. Automatic forfeitures under Article 58b stop a Soldier’s pay the moment confinement over six months or a punitive discharge is adjudged.

Our sentencing case starts the day we are hired: deployments, evaluations, awards, leaders who will testify, treatment the Soldier has sought, and the family that depends on them. A good-Soldier packet assembled after findings is not a sentencing case. And we prepare for the administrative action that follows an acquittal, because the command can still separate on the same facts by a preponderance.

Where we defend Soldiers

Gonzalez & Waddington has defended Soldiers at courts-martial, boards, and investigations at Fort Bragg, Fort Campbell, Fort Hood, Fort Bliss, Fort Carson, Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield, Fort Gordon, Fort Riley, Fort Drum, Fort Benning, Fort Sill, Fort Leonard Wood, Fort Jackson, Fort Knox, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Schofield Barracks, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, and Fort Wainwright, and at Army installations in Germany, Italy, South Korea, Japan, and the Middle East. Several of these posts were renamed in 2023 and restored in 2025; we list both names where Soldiers still search for them.

We travel to the installation for the Article 32, the motions hearings, and the trial, and travel is included in our flat fee. Overseas cases involve Status of Forces Agreement issues, host-nation jurisdiction, and a time difference we work across daily. See our installation pages for Fort Bragg, Fort Hood, Fort Stewart, and the other posts where we practice, and Overseas Court-Martial Lawyer.

Army case results

• [ARMY CASE 1] — Installation, charge, outcome, one sentence. Link to the case-results entry.
• [ARMY CASE 2] — Installation, charge, outcome, one sentence. Link to the case-results entry.
• [ARMY CASE 3] — Installation, charge, outcome, one sentence. Link to the case-results entry.

More Army results are on our case results page. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome; every case turns on its own facts.

How to choose an Army court-martial lawyer

Ask every lawyer you consider these questions, including us. The answers should be specific.

Question	Gonzalez & Waddington’s answer
How many contested Army courts-martial have you tried to verdict?	Hundreds, across Army installations in the United States, Europe, and the Pacific, over more than twenty years.
Have you handled my charge and my kind of evidence?	Article 120, homicide, domestic violence, drug, fraud, and digital cases, with the experts each one requires.
What will you do before trial?	Stop the interviews, preserve the evidence, present our side through counsel, litigate the Article 32 and the motions, and build the sentencing case in parallel.
How will you work with my TDS counsel?	As a team, with a written division of work and both lawyers at the table.
Can you handle the AR 15-6, GOMOR, and separation?	Yes, as part of the same engagement, because they are the same case.
Who will personally appear?	The lawyer you hire. Michael Waddington or Alexandra González-Waddington, named in the fee agreement.
What does it cost?	A flat fee, quoted in writing before you decide, including travel, with payment plans.

Frequently asked questions

Who are the Army court-martial lawyers at Gonzalez & Waddington?

Michael Waddington, a former Army JAG prosecutor and defense counsel, and Alexandra González-Waddington, a former public defender, are the firm’s founding partners. Both are civilian military defense lawyers who have defended Soldiers at Army courts-martial for more than twenty years.

Do Soldiers get free court-martial counsel?

Yes. Army Trial Defense Service provides detailed military defense counsel for courts-martial, Article 32 hearings, Article 15 advice, and separation boards at no cost.

Can I keep TDS if I hire Gonzalez & Waddington?

Yes. Under Article 38 of the UCMJ, your detailed TDS counsel stays on the case as associate counsel unless you excuse them. We work alongside them.

Should I talk to CID?

No. Invoke Article 31, decline the interview, refuse consent to search, and call a lawyer. Your silence cannot be used against you; a statement can.

What is an Article 32 hearing?

The preliminary hearing required before a general court-martial can be referred. A hearing officer decides probable cause and recommends a disposition. We almost never advise waiving it.

Who decides whether to prosecute an Article 120 case in the Army?

Since December 2023, the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel, independent of your chain of command, decides whether covered offenses including sexual assault are referred to court-martial.

Can I receive a GOMOR or be separated after an acquittal?

Yes. Administrative action proceeds on a preponderance standard and is not barred by an acquittal. We prepare for the board before the trial ends.

Does Gonzalez & Waddington travel to my installation?

Yes. We travel to every Army installation for the Article 32, motions hearings, boards, and trial, in the United States and overseas, and travel is included in the flat fee.

How much does an Army court-martial lawyer cost?

Gonzalez & Waddington charges a flat fee quoted in writing before you decide. The amount depends on the stage, the forum, the charge, and the experts the case needs. See Court-Martial Lawyer Cost.

Sources and authorities

1. Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. chapter 47, including Articles 16, 25, 31, 32, 38, 53, 56, 58b, and 120.
2. Manual for Courts-Martial, Joint Service Committee on Military Justice, including Rules for Courts-Martial 303, 307, 506, 703, 707, 916, and Military Rules of Evidence 304, 311–317, 412, 413, and 513.
3. Army Publishing Directorate: AR 15-6, AR 27-10, AR 600-8-2, AR 600-8-24, AR 600-20, AR 600-37, AR 623-3, and AR 635-200.
4. Article 38, UCMJ, defense counsel.
5. Michael Waddington, The First 72 Hours: A Service Member’s Guide to Military Criminal Investigations; Michael Waddington and Alexandra González-Waddington, Kick-Ass Closings.

Related resources

Legal-information notice: This page is attorney advertising and provides general information, not legal advice for any person or case. Military law, executive orders, service regulations, and installation procedures change. Reading this page or contacting Gonzalez & Waddington does not create an attorney-client relationship. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.