When a service member faces court-martial or a serious UCMJ charge such as Article 120 sexual assault, civilian defense counsel experience can shape investigation, motions, cross-examination, and sentencing strategy. Gonzalez & Waddington defend service members worldwide. No outcome is guaranteed. Call 1-800-921-8607. Educational only, not legal advice.
Quick answers
Why does civilian court-martial lawyer experience matter in a UCMJ case?
Experience affects investigation quality, motions practice, witness cross-examination, and sentencing preparation when conviction, discharge, or registration are on the line. Facts and law still control every result.
What should I look for in counsel for an Article 120 allegation?
Look for counsel who investigates early, challenges weak evidence, prepares cross-examination, and builds mitigation. No lawyer can promise an acquittal or any specific sentence.
Watch on YouTube. Questions about a case: call 1-800-921-8607 or text 954-799-4019.
Educational information only. Not legal advice. Using this briefing does not create an attorney-client relationship. Facts, commands, and outcomes vary. For advice about your case, speak with a lawyer.
Video transcript
Transcript of the video “Why a Civilian Court-Martial Lawyer Can Change Your Case,” with Michael Waddington of Gonzalez & Waddington.
Read the full transcript of this video
Losing is not really an option. Even though there’s no guarantee, I will tell you this: the more experienced your defense team is at fighting the type of case your husband is facing, the more likely you are to get a better result. That might mean fewer years in jail versus getting maxed out, or an acquittal versus a conviction on a couple of things. These are big differences.
So the skill of the lawyer, the experience of the lawyer, the strategy of the lawyer, the reputation of the lawyer: all of those things can be worth much, much more than what you’re paying for that lawyer, when you compare losing the case with winning it. When we get a not-guilty verdict and our client goes back to work, his name cleared, able to continue on, that is a huge result. And I’ve had many of those where, in my opinion, the client would have been convicted, no doubt, if he had gone with the military lawyer.
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