Court Martial Defense Lawyer

Experienced Court Martial Defense Attorney

A court-martial rarely starts the day charges are read. It usually follows weeks of investigation by agencies like the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Army Criminal Investigation Division, or Air Force Office of Special Investigations.

For serious offenses such as sexual assault or domestic violence, an independent military prosecutor may now decide whether to move forward, not a commander. When these accusations arise, you need a trusted military criminal defense attorney on your side.

At Aaron Meyer Law, our court martial defense lawyer brings direct military justice experience that can change how that process plays out for you. Aaron Meyer has practiced military law since 2004, when he was commissioned as a Marine judge advocate. He also holds a 9.1 Avvo rating of “Superb.”

Reach out to talk through what you’re facing and what your options look like from here.

What a Court Martial Defense Attorney Handles Across Every Forum

Court-martial cases do not all look alike, and the forum a case lands in changes everything about the strategy. Our lawyer handles a range of matters:

• General courts-martial for the most serious Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) offenses, including sexual assault and violent crime
• Special courts-martial for mid-level offenses such as unauthorized absence or drug use
• Summary courts-martial for minor, enlisted-only infractions
• Preliminary hearings held before a case can be sent to a general court-martial
• The decision whether to accept or refuse nonjudicial punishment at the command level
• Administrative separation boards that often follow a resolved or dismissed court-martial case

Since December 28, 2023, many of the most serious charges, including sexual assault and domestic violence, fall under the Office of Special Trial Counsel. This is an independent military prosecution authority. It now decides whether those cases move forward instead of a commander. For offenses the Office of Special Trial Counsel does not cover, a commander with legal authority to send a case to trial, known as a convening authority, still makes that call.

What’s at Stake Across the Three Types of Court-Martial?

Under Article 16 of the UCMJ, every court-martial falls into one of three forums, and the punishment ceiling changes sharply between them. A summary court-martial can impose up to 30 days of confinement, forfeiture of two-thirds pay for one month, and reduction in rank, but it cannot hand down a punitive discharge.

A special court-martial raises that ceiling to 12 months of confinement, forfeiture of two-thirds pay for up to 12 months, reduction to the lowest enlisted grade, and a bad-conduct discharge.

A general court-martial can impose any punishment the UCMJ allows for the specific offense charged, up to a dishonorable discharge, life imprisonment, or death in a capital case. Before the government can send a case to that highest forum, Article 32 of the UCMJ requires a preliminary hearing before an impartial hearing officer. That hearing confirms the charges and evidence actually support moving forward.

A conviction at a special or general court-martial also becomes a federal conviction, which can follow someone well past their time in uniform.

Why Service Members Choose Our Defense Lawyer for High-Stakes Cases?

Aaron Meyer Law has represented service members at general and special courts-martial across more than one branch of the military.

In 2019, a military judge dismissed all sexual assault charges against an Air Force technical sergeant with prejudice, citing government discovery failures, in a case Aaron Meyer defended.

In a nationally covered 2012 hazing court-martial connected to the suicide of a Marine lance corporal in Afghanistan, Aaron Meyer represented one of the accused Marines. That Marine received a not-guilty verdict on the hazing-related charges.

Colby Vokey is a retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel who once served as the Marine Corps’ Chief Defense Counsel for the Western Region. He has publicly praised Aaron Meyer’s handling of military courtroom cases.

Because Aaron Meyer has practiced military law since 2004, he has seen how investigators, convening authorities, and military judges actually handle cases like this one.

Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome in any future case.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a lawyer before my preliminary hearing?

In most cases, yes. The hearing held before a general court-martial is often your first real look at the government’s evidence, and you can request to waive it. A court martial defense lawyer should review the evidence with you before you give up that step. Waiting until after the hearing to hire a lawyer can mean losing an early chance to challenge weak proof.

Can I hire a civilian attorney instead of using my assigned military defense counsel?

You do not have to choose one or the other. Every accused service member gets detailed military defense counsel at no cost, and a civilian lawyer can work alongside that counsel rather than replace your assigned lawyer. Many service members bring in civilian counsel because that lawyer answers only to the client, not the chain of command.

What’s the difference between nonjudicial punishment and a court-martial?

Nonjudicial punishment, sometimes called Office Hours or Captain’s Mast depending on the branch, is a lower-level process a commander handles without a trial. A court-martial is a criminal trial that can produce a federal conviction and a punitive discharge. Whether to accept nonjudicial punishment or demand trial by court-martial is worth discussing with a lawyer first.

Will my case be heard at Camp Pendleton if I’m stationed there?

Marine Corps general and special courts-martial, including cases out of Camp Pendleton, are held in dedicated courtrooms aboard the base as part of the Western Judicial Circuit of the Navy-Marine Corps Trial Judiciary. Which courtroom hears your case and which commander controls it depends on your unit and the specific charges, not just your duty station.

Does hiring a court martial defense lawyer cost anything just to find out where I stand?

A first conversation about a potential court-martial case does not have to cost anything upfront. Firms that focus on military justice, including ours, often offer a free consultation so you can understand the process before deciding how to move forward.

What happens to my military career if I’m acquitted at a court-martial?

An acquittal ends the criminal case, but a command can still pursue separate administrative steps, such as a board of inquiry or a push for administrative separation on unrelated grounds. An acquittal does not automatically erase every note from the investigation, so it often helps to address those follow-on actions directly.

Get a Defense Lawyer Working on Your Court Martial Now

A court-martial moves fast once the government decides to proceed, and early choices, including whether to waive a preliminary hearing, can shape everything that follows. Aaron Meyer Law represents service members in general, special, and summary courts-martial, and in the administrative proceedings that often come after.

Schedule a free consultation to talk through the charges you’re facing and what happens next.