Louisiana Military Defense Lawyers – UCMJ Attorneys
Legal Guide Overview
Louisiana Military Defense Lawyers – UCMJ Attorneys
Gonzalez & Waddington are civilian military defense lawyers providing representation to service members stationed in Louisiana facing UCMJ investigations, court-martial cases, or administrative actions. Their practice is exclusively focused on military justice, supported by worldwide defense experience and involvement in investigations conducted by CID, NCIS, and OSI.
Watch the military defense lawyers at Gonzalez & Waddington break down how they defend service members worldwide against UCMJ allegations, CID/NCIS/OSI investigations, court-martials, Article 120 cases, administrative separations, and GOMORs. If you’re under investigation or facing charges, this video explains what your rights are and how experienced civilian military counsel can make the difference.
The operational environment, command culture, and tempo across military installations in Louisiana create a military justice climate where UCMJ investigations and serious charges can escalate quickly. Allegations often move into formal processes before the facts are fully developed. This pace places service members under early scrutiny as commands work to maintain order and accountability.
Louisiana hosts a range of military missions, including training, aviation, and support activities, leading to steady personnel movement and frequent operational cycles. These conditions encourage strict oversight, and commands tend to initiate inquiries promptly when misconduct is reported. High leadership visibility and mandatory reporting standards also drive rapid referral of allegations to investigative authorities.
Because installations in Louisiana interact closely with surrounding civilian communities, incidents occurring off-post often trigger command-directed investigations. Even preliminary claims can result in interviews, no-contact orders, or administrative restrictions before a full evidentiary record is established.
Article 120 sexual assault allegations remain among the most serious and heavily scrutinized offenses in Louisiana. Off-post nightlife, alcohol use, and social interactions around nearby towns can contribute to situations where consent, memory, and credibility become contested. These environments increase the potential for conflicting statements from involved parties and witnesses.
Commands treat Article 120 allegations as felony-level matters, leading to immediate involvement by military investigators and comprehensive evidence collection. The combination of relationship disputes, peer reporting, and digital communication often results in a detailed investigative posture with significant liberty and career exposure for the accused.
Because Louisiana hosts units from multiple branches, allegations are typically handled by military investigators such as CID, NCIS, OSI, or CGIS (depending on branch). These agencies commonly conduct structured interviews, collect witness statements, and examine electronic devices when authorized. Commands often escalate serious allegations quickly to preserve evidence and maintain good order.
Investigations frequently include review of digital communications, controlled communications in limited circumstances, and coordination with civilian law enforcement when incidents occur off-post. Service members may experience rapid administrative measures such as no-contact orders while the inquiry proceeds.
At Louisiana, investigative actions can develop faster than service members anticipate, and early mistakes in statements or conduct can lead to criminal charges or administrative consequences with long-term professional impact.
Gonzalez & Waddington routinely defend service members facing military justice actions that arise in Louisiana, reflecting extensive experience with high-stakes UCMJ matters originating in the region. Their representation extends to clients dealing with complex investigations and charges connected to Louisiana’s joint-service military environment. The firm also assists service members stationed elsewhere, including those involved in overseas proceedings linked to Louisiana-based duties or deployments.
The firm’s attorneys regularly defend against serious allegations, including Article 120 sexual assault cases, which frequently involve multifaceted legal and factual disputes. Their work includes court-martial litigation, Article 32 preliminary hearings, and oversight of detailed investigative processes. They frequently interact with investigators such as CID, NCIS, OSI, and CGIS, a critical component of cases developing within Louisiana’s operational landscape.
The team emphasizes early legal intervention to guide service members before official statements, interviews, or charging decisions are made. Their practice includes trial-ready defense strategies suited to the command-driven structure of military justice. They also navigate administrative and criminal military proceedings that stem from incidents or investigations tied to Louisiana assignments.
The United States maintains a military presence in Louisiana to support regional readiness, ensure flexible response options, and sustain key training and logistical functions. Its location enables access to important transportation corridors and facilitates coordination across multiple service components. The presence also reinforces national defense objectives by providing staging areas for domestic missions and broader operational support. These factors collectively justify a continuous and structured military footprint in the state.
Louisiana’s coastal position, inland waterways, and varied terrain influence how forces train, maneuver, and respond to operational demands. Proximity to the Gulf of Mexico and major transit routes shapes maritime awareness and air mobility planning. Seasonal weather patterns, wetlands, and dispersed population centers affect installation operations and contingency preparedness. These geographic elements help define force posture and influence rotation schedules throughout the year.
Louisiana hosts a diverse joint-service footprint that includes aviation activities, maritime support functions, ground training areas, and logistics nodes. Service branches use the state’s infrastructure for mission planning, sustainment operations, and specialized training pipelines. Intelligence, medical, cyber, and coordination functions are integrated into daily operations to support wider regional tasks. Military and civilian communities interact regularly due to the concentration of installations and associated support facilities.
The operational demands in Louisiana create conditions where military justice matters can surface rapidly as commands maintain strict oversight of personnel conduct. High operational tempo, dispersed units, and constant readiness requirements often trigger swift preliminary inquiries when incidents occur. Commanders must manage administrative actions concurrently with potential investigative steps to preserve good order and discipline. This environment increases the need for clear processes that support accountability and timely decision-making.
Louisiana hosts multiple U.S. military installations, each with distinct operational roles, training demands, and surrounding communities that shape common patterns of military justice exposure.
Fort Johnson (U.S. Army)
Fort Johnson is home to Army combat and training units that conduct demanding field exercises and readiness rotations. The installation supports large-scale maneuver training and sustained operational preparation, creating periods of high workload and extended time in the field. Units cycle through intensive training blocks that place soldiers under significant physical and operational stress.
The rural setting and distance from major population centers often lead to off-duty travel, interactions with local establishments, and relationship-driven allegations that generate UCMJ investigations and command-directed inquiries. Long training days and field conditions can contribute to allegations of misconduct tied to orders violations or interpersonal conflicts. Military investigators such as CID, NCIS, OSI, or CGIS, depending on branch, may become involved when incidents occur during major training events or within troop billets.
Barksdale Air Force Base (U.S. Air Force)
Barksdale AFB hosts bomber forces and support units involved in strategic deterrence and global strike readiness. Aircrews, maintenance personnel, and operations staff routinely work high-tempo alert schedules and precision-driven missions. The base’s role in nuclear-capable operations demands strict compliance with technical orders and discipline standards.
The proximity to Shreveport-Bossier nightlife, casinos, and entertainment corridors commonly intersects with allegations of misconduct, alcohol-related incidents, and off-base disputes leading to administrative action or UCMJ investigations. High operational expectations can also generate command-directed inquiries into duty performance, orders violations, or interpersonal issues within tightly regulated work centers.
Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans (U.S. Navy / Joint Forces)
NAS JRB New Orleans supports Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard aviation and reserve units operating in a joint environment. Training, aircraft maintenance, and periodic mobilization cycles produce varied operational tempos across tenant commands. Aviation operations and reservist integration require coordination between multiple chains of command and service cultures.
The installation’s location near New Orleans places service members in a major tourist and nightlife hub where alcohol-related allegations, off-duty altercations, and relationship-based complaints frequently trigger UCMJ investigations or command-directed inquiries. The joint setting also increases scrutiny on orders compliance, workplace conduct, and inter-service coordination, especially during periods of mobilization or high sortie generation.
Coast Guard Sector New Orleans (U.S. Coast Guard)
Coast Guard Sector New Orleans oversees maritime safety, security, and response operations across a high-activity port region and Gulf waterways. Units conduct continuous patrols, search-and-rescue missions, and marine inspections that require rapid response and demanding duty cycles. Operations blend routine port activity with surge periods during severe weather or high maritime traffic.
The port-city environment exposes personnel to long, irregular hours and frequent interactions with civilian maritime communities, creating situations where allegations of misconduct, administrative action, or duty-related inquiries may arise. Off-duty exposure to New Orleans entertainment districts can lead to alcohol-related incidents or disputes that prompt command oversight and formal review.
Question: Does the UCMJ apply to service members stationed in Louisiana?
Answer: The UCMJ applies to service members regardless of location, including assignments in Louisiana, other states, or overseas. Its provisions remain in effect while a service member is on active duty or otherwise subject to military orders.
Question: How are command decisions made regarding where a military justice case is handled?
Answer: Command authority plays a central role in deciding how and where a case is processed, with considerations that may include a unit’s assignment, command structure, and the facts of the situation. If Louisiana is overseas in a given case, coordination with other authorities can create additional jurisdictional considerations.
Question: How do civilian laws interact with military jurisdiction for incidents in Louisiana?
Answer: An incident in Louisiana can fall under both civilian law enforcement interest and military jurisdiction, depending on the circumstances. Each system may evaluate the matter independently based on its own rules and processes.
Question: How are military investigations conducted for incidents occurring in Louisiana?
Answer: Military investigations may be carried out by CID, NCIS, OSI, or CGIS, depending on the service branch involved. These investigations can include gathering statements, digital evidence, and witness accounts.
Question: What is the role of a civilian military defense lawyer in Louisiana-related military cases?
Answer: Civilian military defense counsel can represent service members in court-martial and administrative actions and may work alongside appointed military defense counsel. Their involvement is focused on providing independent representation within the military justice system.
Gonzalez & Waddington are civilian military defense lawyers who represent service members stationed in Louisiana facing UCMJ investigations, court-martial charges, Article 15 nonjudicial punishment, administrative separation, and Boards of Inquiry. The firm’s practice is exclusively focused on military justice, providing representation grounded in extensive experience with investigations conducted by CID, NCIS, and OSI. This concentrated focus allows the firm to maintain continuity across all stages of the military justice process and ensures alignment with the procedural expectations of commands across all branches.
Louisiana hosts a significant and diverse military presence, with installations that support aviation, logistics, training, and joint operational missions, creating an environment where service members operate under demanding conditions with substantial oversight. Within this setting, high-risk allegation categories such as Article 120 sexual assault, domestic violence, fraternization, drug offenses, and other forms of misconduct frequently lead to rapid investigative action. Because military justice is command-controlled and can move quickly once allegations arise, service members must navigate processes that directly influence rank, pay, clearance eligibility, benefits, and long-term career trajectory.
Effective defense in Louisiana requires early legal intervention before statements are made or charging decisions are finalized, particularly in cases where investigations may be unlawful, incomplete, or rushed. Strategic representation includes identifying investigative gaps, demanding proper evidentiary handling, and preparing for trial-ready court-martial litigation as well as administrative proceedings worldwide. Individuals researching these issues often seek clear information regarding their rights and options, and searches for “Louisiana military defense lawyer” and “UCMJ attorney” reflect informational search intent rather than a call to action.
