Michigan Military Defense Lawyers for UCMJ Matters
Short answer: Service members in Michigan, including service members at Selfridge Air National Guard Base and soldiers training at Camp Grayling, and Guard and Reserve members when they are in a federal status covered by the UCMJ (Article 2, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 802), can hire a civilian military defense lawyer in addition to free military defense counsel (Article 38(b), UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 838). If Air Force OSI or Army CID asks to interview you, you have the right to remain silent and must be told what you are suspected of before questioning (Article 31(b), UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 831). An arrest in Harrison Township, Grayling, Detroit or elsewhere in Michigan can lead to both a Michigan prosecution and military action (Gamble v. United States, 587 U.S. 678 (2019)). Gonzalez & Waddington travels to Michigan for interviews, hearings and trials. Call 1-800-921-8607 or text 954-799-4019.
Gonzalez & Waddington, LLC, through civilian military defense counsel Michael Waddington and Alexandra González-Waddington, serves service members associated with Michigan’s military community. The firm represents military clients worldwide in UCMJ investigations, court-martial defense, and administrative representation, including matters that may affect rank, assignments, and careers. For Soldiers, Airmen, Coast Guard members, and other service members connected to Michigan units or training sites, the goal is practical, independent defense guidance without implying a Michigan office or any verified local case history.
Michigan’s Statewide Military Defense Setting
This page addresses Michigan as a statewide military-defense location, not a single installation. Michigan’s Department of Military and Veterans Affairs includes the Michigan Army National Guard and Michigan Air National Guard, while the broader state military context also includes U.S. Coast Guard Great Lakes units operating from Michigan locations. Joint Forces Headquarters in Lansing coordinates DMVA operations and houses the director’s office, joint staff, and leadership teams, giving the state a central command and coordination point for military and veterans affairs functions.
The DMVA strategic plan describes the department’s mission in terms of building and sustaining military readiness, advocating for veterans, and cultivating partnerships. For a service member, that statewide structure can matter because a military legal issue may be tied to a home unit, a training site, an aviation mission, a Great Lakes assignment, or a command process that is not limited to one base gate.
Training, Aviation, and Guard Locations Across Michigan
Michigan’s Army National Guard footprint includes readiness centers, maintenance facilities, aviation sites, Camp Grayling, and Fort Custer. The Air National Guard operates from Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Battle Creek Air National Guard Base, and Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center. Those locations reflect a military environment built around readiness, recurring training, aviation operations, and statewide unit support.
The National All-Domain Warfighting Center adds another important Michigan-specific detail. DMVA describes it as supporting joint fires, combined-arms live-fire training, interoperability, and realistic all-domain training. Its published description combines nearly 148,000 acres of Camp Grayling maneuver space with 17,000 square miles of special-use military airspace centered on Alpena. In a defense context, that kind of training environment can involve service members from different units, records from multiple organizations, and command decisions that develop quickly after an allegation or incident.
Great Lakes Coast Guard Presence
Michigan’s military-defense picture also includes Coast Guard activity across the Great Lakes. The Coast Guard’s Great Lakes District lists Sector Detroit, Sector Northern Great Lakes at Sault Sainte Marie, and Sector Field Office Grand Haven among Michigan-connected units. Sector Northern Great Lakes describes a responsibility area that includes Lake Superior and northern portions of Lakes Michigan and Huron. This geography reinforces why a Michigan military defense matter may arise in a maritime operational setting, a training environment, an aviation community, or an inland National Guard unit.
Gonzalez & Waddington, LLC does not need to be part of a command structure to protect a service member’s interests. Civilian counsel can evaluate the government’s theory, help the accused or investigated member understand the stakes, prepare for litigation or administrative action, and work to protect the member’s position as the process moves forward. That support may be important during early investigative contact, after notice of potential UCMJ action, when court-martial exposure is possible, or when adverse administrative consequences could affect a military career.
Independent Civilian Counsel for Michigan Service Members
Military defense in Michigan requires attention to the actual statewide scope. A case connected to Lansing, Camp Grayling, Fort Custer, Selfridge, Battle Creek, Alpena, Detroit, Sault Sainte Marie, or Grand Haven may involve different missions and records, but the need for independent defense counsel is consistent. Michael Waddington and Alexandra González-Waddington represent service members as civilian military defense lawyers, separate from command channels and focused on the client’s interests.
If you are connected to a Michigan unit, training site, air mission, or Coast Guard location and need military defense counsel for a UCMJ investigation, court-martial defense, or administrative representation, contact Gonzalez & Waddington, LLC. To request a consultation about a Michigan military defense matter, call 1-800-921-8607.
Michigan Military Bases at a Glance
Gonzalez & Waddington, LLC represents service members at military installations in Michigan. The table shows each installation, its branch, the nearest city, which agency investigates misconduct there, and where to find the base-specific guide.
| Installation | Branch | Nearest city | Investigators | Base guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selfridge Air National Guard Base | Air National Guard | Harrison Township | Air Force OSI (federal status) | Covered on this page |
Key Legal Facts for Michigan Military Cases
- Civilian counsel: You may hire a civilian lawyer at your own expense and keep your free detailed military defense counsel (Article 38(b), UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 838).
- Questioning: Air Force OSI agents must tell you what offense you are suspected of and that you have the right to remain silent before they question you (Article 31(b), UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 831; Mil. R. Evid. 305).
- Drugs: Whatever local law allows, use or possession of marijuana, THC products or other controlled substances by a service member is a crime under Article 112a, UCMJ (10 U.S.C. § 912a), on or off base.
- DUI: An impaired-driving arrest in Michigan is prosecuted under state law (MCL 257.625) and can also lead to Article 15 punishment (10 U.S.C. § 815), an Army GOMOR (AR 600-37), a Navy or Marine Corps punitive letter, or an Air Force letter of reprimand (DAFI 36-2907).
- Two prosecutions: A state case does not by itself bar a court-martial for the same conduct (Gamble v. United States, 587 U.S. 678 (2019)).
- Sexual assault cases: For Article 120 offenses (10 U.S.C. § 920) committed after December 27, 2023, the Office of Special Trial Counsel, not the local commander, decides whether to refer charges (Article 24a, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 824a).
- Preliminary hearing: Before charges can be referred to a general court-martial, you are entitled to an Article 32 preliminary hearing (10 U.S.C. § 832).
Michael Waddington and Alexandra González-Waddington of Gonzalez & Waddington, LLC are civilian military defense lawyers who represent service members stationed in Michigan in investigations, courts-martial and administrative actions. Michael Waddington is a former Army JAG prosecutor and Senior Defense Counsel; each partner has practiced military and criminal defense for more than 20 years. Call 1-800-921-8607 for a free, confidential consultation.
Michigan Military Defense Lawyers | Court-Martial Attorneys for Michigan Military Bases and National Guard Units
Trial-Focused Court-Martial Defense for Service Members Stationed in Michigan
If you are searching for a Michigan military defense lawyer or a court-martial attorney in Michigan, you are likely dealing with a serious military justice issue. Michigan hosts significant National Guard, Air National Guard, Coast Guard, Reserve, and military training operations throughout the state. Service members assigned to Michigan units remain subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) when serving on federal active-duty orders and may face investigations that rapidly escalate from command inquiry to court-martial proceedings.
Gonzalez & Waddington represents service members stationed throughout Michigan and worldwide who face felony-level military charges, command investigations, adverse administrative actions, and contested courts-martial. The firm focuses exclusively on military criminal defense. Early representation allows defense counsel to protect constitutional rights, preserve favorable evidence, challenge investigative assumptions, and develop a trial strategy before command decisions become final.
Michigan’s Unique Military Environment
Michigan’s military footprint differs from many states because it combines large National Guard operations, major aviation units, Coast Guard missions across the Great Lakes, cyber operations, reserve commands, and one of the nation’s largest military training centers.
Military personnel in Michigan operate throughout:
- Detroit metropolitan area
- Selfridge Air National Guard Base
- Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center
- Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center
- Coast Guard Sector Detroit
- Traverse City Air National Guard Base
- Battle Creek Air National Guard Base
- Army Reserve Centers throughout the state
- Navy Operational Support Centers
- National Guard armories and training facilities
Because many Michigan service members serve in National Guard and Reserve units, investigations often involve a combination of military authorities, civilian law enforcement agencies, state authorities, and federal investigators.
How Michigan Court-Martial Lawyers Protect Service Members
- Immediate investigation control: manage communications with CID, NCIS, OSI, CGIS, FBI agents, state investigators, and command representatives
- Statement protection: prevent damaging admissions during interrogations and command questioning
- Evidence preservation: secure text messages, emails, social media evidence, surveillance footage, and witness statements
- Investigative analysis: identify unsupported assumptions, credibility issues, and missing evidence
- Aggressive motion practice: challenge unlawful searches, digital seizures, and unreliable testimony
- Trial preparation: develop cross-examination strategies, expert witness analysis, exhibits, and persuasive defense themes
Common UCMJ Charges Prosecuted in Michigan Military Cases
Military personnel assigned to Michigan units frequently face investigations involving:
- Article 120 sexual assault allegations
- Article 128 assault and domestic violence allegations
- Drug offenses and urinalysis cases
- Article 107 false official statement allegations
- Fraud and government entitlement investigations
- Orders violations and misconduct allegations
- Security clearance concerns
- Larceny and financial misconduct allegations
- Recruiting misconduct investigations
- National Guard duty-related offenses
Michigan Military Bases and Installations We Cover
- Selfridge Air National Guard Base – Major Air National Guard installation supporting fighter, tanker, intelligence, and aviation operations.
- Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center – The largest National Guard training facility in the United States by acreage.
- Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center – Major air-to-ground combat training facility.
- Coast Guard Sector Detroit – Great Lakes maritime security headquarters.
- Battle Creek Air National Guard Base – Home to cyber and intelligence missions.
- Traverse City Air National Guard Base
- Detroit Arsenal
- Army Reserve Centers Throughout Michigan
- Navy Operational Support Centers
- Michigan National Guard Units Statewide
Camp Grayling Court-Martial Defense
Camp Grayling is one of the most important military training facilities in the United States. Thousands of service members from across the Army, National Guard, Air National Guard, and allied nations train there each year.
Because of its size and operational tempo, investigations frequently arise from:
- Field training exercises
- Barracks incidents
- Alcohol-related misconduct
- Sexual assault allegations
- Vehicle accidents
- Weapons accountability investigations
- Orders violations
- Training accidents
- National Guard disciplinary matters
Many investigations involve large numbers of witnesses and significant documentary evidence collected during exercises.
Selfridge Air National Guard Base Investigations
Located near Detroit, Selfridge Air National Guard Base supports multiple aviation and intelligence missions. The installation hosts Air National Guard, Coast Guard, Reserve, and active-duty personnel.
Cases originating at Selfridge often involve:
- Professional relationship allegations
- Sexual assault investigations
- Domestic violence allegations
- Drug testing cases
- Government computer investigations
- Financial misconduct allegations
- False official statement investigations
Coast Guard Cases in Michigan
Michigan’s location along four Great Lakes creates one of the largest Coast Guard operational footprints in the country. Coast Guard personnel stationed in Detroit, Sault Ste. Marie, Grand Haven, Traverse City, and other locations remain subject to the UCMJ.
Common Coast Guard investigations involve:
- Maritime law enforcement operations
- Alcohol-related misconduct
- Government property allegations
- Operational readiness concerns
- Assault allegations
- Sexual assault investigations
- False official statement cases
- Duty performance allegations
Michigan-Specific Sample Court-Martial Scenarios
The following examples are entirely fictional and are provided solely to illustrate common Michigan military fact patterns.
- Detroit Domestic Violence Investigation: A National Guard NCO assigned to Selfridge becomes involved in a domestic dispute at an apartment in Macomb County. Local police respond, photographs are taken, and military authorities later initiate a separate investigation. The case centers on conflicting statements, witness credibility, and digital communications.
- Camp Grayling Article 120 Allegation: During a multi-state National Guard exercise near Grayling, a junior enlisted Soldier reports a sexual assault following an off-duty gathering. Investigators collect text messages, barracks access records, and witness statements from multiple units.
- Traverse City Drug Investigation: An Air National Guard member tests positive during a random urinalysis inspection. The defense focuses on collection procedures, laboratory records, chain of custody documentation, and supplement usage.
- Battle Creek False Official Statement Case: A service member allegedly provides inaccurate information during a security clearance review connected to a cyber assignment. Investigators later pursue Article 107 allegations.
- Grand Rapids Government Travel Card Investigation: A reservist attending temporary duty training is accused of improper use of a government travel card. Financial records reveal multiple disputed transactions requiring extensive review.
- Detroit River Coast Guard Assault Case: Following an off-duty incident at a waterfront entertainment district, a Coast Guard member faces assault allegations supported primarily by limited witness accounts and partial surveillance video.
- Upper Peninsula Weapons Investigation: During a field exercise, military property is reported missing. The investigation examines accountability procedures, inventory records, and command oversight issues.
Military Communities Frequently Associated With Michigan Investigations
Many military justice cases arise off base in communities where service members live, socialize, and work.
Common locations include:
- Detroit
- Warren
- Sterling Heights
- Macomb County
- Grand Rapids
- Lansing
- Battle Creek
- Traverse City
- Grayling
- Saginaw
- Flint
- Kalamazoo
- Ann Arbor
- Marquette
- Sault Ste. Marie
These cases often involve civilian police reports, surveillance footage, cell phone evidence, social media communications, and civilian witnesses.
National Guard and Reserve Issues in Michigan
Michigan has one of the largest National Guard footprints in the country. Many service members face legal issues involving:
- Title 10 federal service
- Mobilization orders
- Training accidents
- Deployment-related misconduct allegations
- Administrative separation proceedings
- Officer Boards of Inquiry
- Enlisted separation boards
- GOMORs and reprimands
- Fitness and evaluation report issues
These matters often require a defense strategy that addresses both criminal and career consequences.
When to Contact a Michigan Military Defense Lawyer
- You have been contacted by military investigators
- You have received an Article 31 rights advisement
- You are scheduled for questioning
- You are being asked to provide a written statement
- You received adverse administrative paperwork
- You are facing an Article 15 or NJP proceeding
- You are under investigation for an Article 120 allegation
- You are pending an Article 32 hearing
- You received notice of an administrative separation board
- You have learned that court-martial charges may be filed
Why Early Legal Representation Matters
Military investigations frequently begin weeks or months before formal charges are preferred. During that period investigators often interview witnesses, seize electronic devices, collect records, and develop a prosecution theory.
Early intervention may allow defense counsel to:
- Prevent damaging statements
- Preserve favorable evidence
- Locate defense witnesses
- Challenge investigative assumptions
- Develop mitigation evidence
- Influence command decision-making
- Prepare a stronger litigation strategy
Michigan UCMJ Defense Links
Under Investigation at Michigan? Know These Rules First
Your rights in an military investigators interview. Article 31(b) of the UCMJ gives you the right to know what you are suspected of and to remain silent, and you may ask for a lawyer before any questioning by military investigators (CID, OSI, NCIS or CGIS). Declining to answer is not an admission. At Michigan, as anywhere, the safest first step is to say you want to speak with counsel and then stop talking.
Titling can follow you. military investigators can title you as the subject of an investigation, which indexes your name in the Defense Central Index of Investigations, on a low "credible information" standard. Titling is not a finding of guilt, but the record can surface in later background and security clearance checks even if no charges are ever brought.
Who decides whether you are charged. For covered offenses, including sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, kidnapping, murder, child pornography and, since 2025, sexual harassment, the decision to prefer and refer charges belongs to an independent special trial counsel rather than your commander at Michigan. For other offenses the command still decides. Which track a case is on shapes the defense from the first day.
Family and relationship allegations. Domestic violence is charged under Article 128b, and strangulation or suffocation can be charged as aggravated assault whether or not there is a mark. The hidden cost is the Lautenberg Amendment: a qualifying conviction bars possession of firearms and ammunition, which few military careers survive.
Drug allegations. Marijuana may be legal for adults under Michigan law, but it remains prohibited for service members under Article 112a of the UCMJ, on post and off. A positive urinalysis is serious but contestable: the chain of custody, the testing process and innocent ingestion can all be challenged, and the government must prove the use was knowing and wrongful.
BAH and allowance cases. An overpayment is a debt, not a crime. To convict under Article 121 (larceny) or Article 124 (frauds against the United States), the government must prove intent, and that is where many BAH cases fall apart once the paperwork history is reconstructed.
If you are under investigation at Michigan, talk to a military defense lawyer before you make any statement. Call Gonzalez & Waddington at 1-800-921-8607.
I was wrongly accused under articles 120, 128b, and 130, and the legal battle was an incredibly draining experience. Throughout the two-and-a-half-year ordeal, Michael and Alexandra displayed unmatched professionalism, deep legal expertise, and genuine care for my case.
Prior results and client testimonials do not guarantee a similar outcome, and you may not obtain the same or similar results. Every case is different. No client was paid for a review.
Michigan Military Defense FAQ
Can I hire a civilian military defense lawyer for a case in Michigan?
Do I have to answer questions from Air Force OSI or Army CID?
Can Michigan and the military both prosecute me for the same incident?
Can I use marijuana in Michigan if it is legal under state law?
Does the UCMJ apply to National Guard members in Michigan?
Military investigators want to interview me at Michigan. Do I have to talk to them?
No. Article 31(b) of the UCMJ requires investigators to tell you what you are suspected of and that you have the right to remain silent, and you can ask for a lawyer before answering anything. An interview is evidence collection, and military investigators can title you as a subject on a low "credible information" standard that can follow you into background and clearance checks even if the case is dropped. Politely decline, ask for counsel, and call a military defense lawyer before you say anything.
Video transcript
Transcript of the video “What to Look For When Hiring a Court-Martial Lawyer,” with Michael Waddington of Gonzalez & Waddington.
Read the full transcript of this video
What trial experience actually matters in a court-martial lawyer? The experience that counts is personally trying contested cases to a verdict. Standing up, cross-examining government witnesses, arguing motions, making objections, and giving the closing. Recent contested trials in military courts matter most. Years in practice, the number of cases handled and plea deals don’t tell you whether a lawyer can win a trial.
And here’s the part people miss. Trial experience matters even if your case never goes to trial. I’m Michael Waddington, civilian military defense lawyer and co-founder of Gonzalez & Waddington. And I’ve tried cases in military and civilian courts around the world for 26 years. I teach trial skills to other defense lawyers and I wrote kick-ass closings and the art of trial warfare.
In this video, I’ll explain which kinds of experience matter, how plea practice differs from trial work, and how to check what a lawyer has really done. First, why trial experience matters even if you plead. Most cases don’t end in a full trial. Many end in a plea agreement, a dismissal, or an administrative resolution. So, why does trial experience matter?
Leverage. Prosecutors, special trial counsel, and convening authorities know which defense lawyers try cases and which ones always plead. When the government believes your lawyer will take the case to verdict and do it well, the offers get better, weak charges get dropped, and some cases go away. A lawyer who never tries cases negotiates from weakness, whether they say so or not. If a plea agreement is the right choice for you, you want it negotiated by someone the government doesn’t want to face at trial.
We have a separate video on how plea agreements work. Second, the kinds of experience and what each one is worth. Lawyers describe their experience in ways that sound alike but aren’t. Contested trials to verdict. The lawyer led the defense through a full trial and the panel or the judge decided.
This is the experience that matters most. Motions litigation. Suppressing statements or searches, unlawful command influence, speedy trial, and illegal pre-trial punishment. Strong motions practice can win a case before trial. Article 32 hearings useful and a chance to lock in witness testimony, but a preliminary hearing isn’t a trial.
Second chair, valuable training, but the person in the second chair didn’t make the decisions. Plea negotiation, a real skill, but a different one. Prosecution experience. A former trial counsel knows how the government builds a case. That helps, but prosecuting and defending take different instincts.
And civilian criminal trials. Many trial skills carry over, but a court-martial has different rules, a different jury, and a different culture. Third, why military trial experience is its own thing. A good civilian trial lawyer can still be lost in a courtroom on base. Here’s what’s different.
The panel. Court-martial members are officers, and if you ask, enlisted members selected by the convening authority. They’re educated, used to following orders, and trained to respect the chain of command. You don’t argue to them the way you argue to a civilian jury. The rules, the military rules of evidence and the rules for courts-martial are close to the federal rules, but not the same.
The differences decide motions. Sentencing for offenses after December 27th, 2023. The military judge decides most sentences under new sentencing parameters. That changes how you present mitigation and when you choose a panel. And rank and culture.
How a witness’s rank, a unit’s reputation, or a commander’s opinion plays with members. That’s learned in the courtroom, not from a book. Fourth, what trial skill actually looks like. When you’re judging a lawyer, these are the skills behind the word experienced. Witness control on cross.
Short leading questions. The witness answers the lawyer’s questions, not the ones they wish they’d been asked. Impeachment. When a witness changes their story, the lawyer commits them to the new version, builds up the earlier statement, and then confronts them with it cleanly so the panel sees it. Objections knowing when to object, when not to, and how to preserve the issue for appeal.
Experts challenging whether an expert should testify at all and cross-examining them if they do. A theory that runs from start to finish. The same story in voadier, opening, cross, and closing. Adapting testimony goes sideways in every trial. Experienced lawyers adjust without losing the thread and the closing pulling the evidence together into reasonable doubt the members can explain to each other in deliberations.
Fifth, recency. Military justice has changed more in the last 10 years than in the 40 years before. The Military Justice Act of 2016, the Office of Special trial counsel, and new sentencing rules have changed how cases are charged, tried, and sentenced. Ask about contested trials in the last few years, not just a career total. Sixth, things that sound impressive, but don’t prove trial skill.
Years licensed. 20 years of paperwork is not 20 years of trials. Never lost a case. That often means the lawyer doesn’t try cases. Every trial lawyer who tries hard cases has lost some.
Television appearances. I’ve done a lot of media work. It doesn’t prove anything about trial skill. Mine or anyone else’s and the number of cases handled. Most of those may be please Article 15s and administrative actions.
Seventh, how to check. Ask directly. How many contested trials to verdict in the last 3 years? What were the charges? Who conducted the cross and the closing?
Ask about a loss. What happened? And what did you learn? A real trial lawyer answers that without flinching. Look at appellet opinions.
Opinions from the court of appeals for the armed forces and from the service courts of criminal appeals often name defense counsel. They’re public. Look at what they teach and write. If other lawyers ask someone to teach trial skills, that’s a signal you can check and watch them. Many lawyers have videos of themselves teaching or explaining cases.
Watch how they think. At Gonzalez & Waddington, Alexandra and I personally try contested courts. Marshall, I’ve defended cases in Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Bahrain, Iraq, England, and across the United States. I’ve taught cross-examination and trial strategy for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the National Trial Lawyers Summit, and Gideon’s Promise. And I teach as an adjunct professor at Florida International University College of Law.
I’m Michael Waddington with Gonzalez & Waddington. So, what trial experience actually matters? Recent contested trials to verdict in military courts where the lawyer you’re hiring did the cross and the closing. That experience wins trials and it gets better results in the cases that never go to trial. I’m Michael Waddington with Gonzalez & Waddington.
We defend service members worldwide. Call us at 1800-921-8607 or visit ucmjdefense.com. When the command knows you’ve got real defense, the game changes.
Aggressive Criminal Defense Lawyers
This video explains what your rights are and how experienced criminal defense lawyers can make a difference.
Facing a military investigation, UCMJ allegation, or serious criminal charge? Gonzalez & Waddington provides trial-focused defense for high-stakes cases. Call 1-800-921-8607 or text 954-799-4019 for a confidential, no-cost consultation.