Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson military criminal lawyers

Military law is different than civilian law. While the basis is the same, the laws are much different. The men and women who volunteer their lives to serve this great nation are expected to adhere to an entirely different set of rules and regulations, and they are strict. This means sometimes they are accused of wrongdoing in the military that doesn’t apply to the outside world. For example, a man or woman accused of leaving their job in the military can be sent to jail for this crime. When a civilian decides to leave their job, there is no legal consequence for doing so. The laws are different, and we work hard to ensure the men and women serving the United States Military are properly defended when they are accused of wrongdoing in the military.

Hire a Military Criminal Defense Attorney

The United States Military offers many of the men and women in their service a chance to work with an appointed attorney if they are accused of wrongdoing and charged with a crime. They also have the option to hire their own private attorney, and it’s imperative they consider hiring a private military criminal defense attorney. Our experience with the military and military law is imperative to your case. You cannot defend your case with an attorney who is not familiar with military law as it differs so much from civilian law.

Military Crimes

While military law is different from civilian law, many of the same rules apply. You can be charged with any of the same criminal charges in the military you could be charged with outside the military. However, there are certain crimes that apply only to men and women in the military.

BAH and Travel Fraud – This is a crime that occurs when men and women in the military are accused of falsifying or submitting incorrect information to the military to get more money for housing, to get more money for travel expenses, or to get more from either. While some people do purposely submit incorrect information, many have no idea they are not submitting the correct information due to the complexities and difficult-to-understand terminology in these forms. It’s purely by accident. We can defend that when you are put on the stand, and we can help drop or permanently reduce these charges.

Desertion – When you are part of the military, you cannot leave your post, fail to show up for work, or do anything that is not authorized in advance by your commander. If you leave, you can be considered AWOL and found guilty of desertion. This can result in serious punishments such as jail time, long-term confinement, and even discharge of the dishonorable type.

When someone is accused and tried for a military crime, they face serious consequences.

– Jail time
– Fines
– Confinement
– Discharge

When someone is dishonorably discharged from the military, it has serious consequences on the rest of their lives. There is a complete and total loss of all military benefits, and it follows you the rest of your life as you apply for new jobs. Many employers will not hire someone who has a dishonorable discharge on their work history, and it only looks worse if you are convicted of a military crime or even a civilian crime while in the military.

Another potential issue men and women in the United States military face when they are accused of a crime is where their case is handled. Military crimes are always handled in a court-martial, but some other crimes are tired in a civilian court of law. Sometimes the crime is serious enough that a person is tried in both. This is damaging, and it requires you call a military criminal defense attorney to help with the situation.

Our job is to defend you, and we know how to do that in both the civilian and military world. Someone without military experience might not have that kind of ability, and that lack of knowledge can hinder your case. Call an experienced military attorney to help you when you are accused of committing a crime as part of the United States military so we can get started.