Fort Shafter military criminal lawyers

When you’re facing a court martial or any kind of military discipline, how you choose to handle the adversity can impact the rest of your life. It might change your career and your life forever. You might even risk spending time in jail. There are a number of reasons that you might consider working with a private military criminal lawyer to represent you at your court martial. 

Why hire a private military lawyer? 

When you’re facing a court martial, you might have the option to work with a military lawyer. Even though this may seem tempting, there are good reasons to work with a private attorney. When you work with a private attorney, they’re a neutral, third party. That is, they’re impartial, and they represent only your best interests. You don’t have the conflict of interest that comes from having a lawyer that works for the military. 

A private lawyer also doesn’t come with the expectation that every case is the same. They don’t see you as just another number on a piece of paper. Instead, your military criminal lawyer advocates for you and your best interests. They put the time in to get the best result possible. They’re not eager to cross your name off their list and move on to the next case. A private lawyer cares just as much about your case as you do. They’ve made a career out of helping people just like you get the best result possible. They’re passionate about what they do, and they’re ready to apply that enthusiasm to your case.

How your attorney works for you 

Your attorney starts by listening to your story. This is the first line of defense in identifying where the government lacks the proof to prove the case against you. Then, your attorney sets out to build your case. This might mean contacting witnesses to ask them for statements. It might mean sending them a subpoena to attend the court martial proceeding. Even though a court martial isn’t a criminal proceeding in a civilian court, your freedom can be on the line. That makes it important to take the time to build the case carefully at each step. 

Once you’ve built your case, your attorney can help you decide your next steps. They can work with the military’s attorney in order to discuss a plea offer if it’s an appropriate case for a plea. If the military extends a plea offer, your attorney can discuss all of the potential consequences of pleading guilty, so that you can weigh the pros and cons. In some cases, it’s appropriate to accept a plea offer and end the case. In other circumstances, your best bet is to go to trial. It’s important to know the difference.  

Your attorney can also help you prioritize what’s most important to you. You might want to stay in the military more than anything even if that means losing some pay or taking a demotion in rank. On the other hand, an honorable discharge or avoiding incarceration might be the most important. An attorney can help you make priorities and then work to achieve them. 

Your military criminal lawyer attends each court hearing with you. If you have a preliminary hearing to talk about conditions of your release before your hearing, your attorney can help you think of all of the things that you may need to ask for. When you need to attend a scheduling hearing, your attorney can make sure that the court schedules future hearings in a way that gives you time to prepare. 

When it’s your trial date, your attorney is ready to thoughtfully present your case to the panel that decides your fate. The panel needs to see the circumstances from your perspective, and your attorney is ready to admit evidence, object to the opposing side’s evidence, and make opening and closing statements that tell your story to the jury in an effective way. 

Your case is the most important 

Most importantly, when you work with a military criminal lawyer, you aren’t just a number on a paper. Instead, you’re a very real person with an important matter. Your military lawyer knows what’s on the line, and they’re going to put in the time and effort to help you reach the best result possible.