Because military crimes are not the most common types of crimes, it will be important that you hire an attorney that specializes in military cases to represent you. When you have someone who is skilled and dedicated their entire lives to fighting for the rights of military personnel in court-martial proceedings, you stand a better chance of winning your case against military organizations that have millions of dollars worth of specialized legal counsel at their disposal. In this case, it will be important to fight fire with fire by having someone who has seen what the other side of the court-martial proceedings looks like.
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What To Look For In A Military Attorney
When it comes to making a decision on whom to hire, it Is important to look at a few key factors including experience, track record, and whether or not they offer a free case evaluation. By going with an experienced attorney, you are making the decision to select someone that has spent the majority of their career focused in the area of military law. These lawyers have not been sidetracked into corporate or tax law but have honed in on specific areas of law as it is practiced in the military. Additionally, these attorneys will typically have a larger network pool from which they will be able to obtain more resources as they represent you. An attorney with a stellar track record also will know exactly what works and what doesn’t during military trials. Finally, any attorney that does not offer a free case evaluation truly isn’t worth their salt. It an attorney looks at your case and doesn’t know where to go from there, they likely won’t be able to help you with the other parts of the case down the line. Military criminal cases can be quite complex and involve other aspects of law like wrongful death suits that will require the attorney to have the ability to work from multiple different angles.
Know Your Rights In Military Court
Even though you may be in the military and are in legal trouble, this does not mean that you forfeit your rights as an American. Similar to a civilian, you have the right to an attorney as well as the right to remain silent and refuse to answer any questions that may incriminate you. You also have the right to be informed of your charges as well as the right to an attorney. If you are charged with a military crime, be sure to exercise these rights and do not speak to anyone until you have contacted your military lawyer. Sometimes officers can scare you into confessing to a crime that you did not commit simply because you did not know your rights. This kind of intimidation tactic is common but you should hold firm until you have been able to speak with your legal representative.
What Charges Can Military Attorneys Help With
Military attorneys have quite a bit of expertise In criminal cases that might overlap with civilian cases. However, the difference is that they have the ability to fit their cases according to a number of military standards and practices during court-martial or military tribunal proceedings. Cases like drug offenses, burglary, misconduct, larceny, domestic violence and assault, and sex offenses are all standard-issue cases that are covered by military attorneys. Additional military-specific situations like court-martial appeals, civilian convictions, officer misconduct, and fraternization are also covered by military attorneys. If you have been charged with any of these crimes, be sure to refuse to speak up until you have spoken with your attorney. Speaking up about your charges can result in incrimination that could put you into a situation where you could lose your rank and status or even be dishonorably discharged.
What Should You Do If You Are Arrested
If you are arrested and charged with any of the above-mentioned crimes, you will be investigated by any member of the CID, USACIDC, AFOSI, NCIS amongst many other organizations. If this occurs, and you are being interrogated, it is important that you let the interrogator know that you have the right to remain silent. You can even ask for the interrogation to stop as well as speak to an attorney or even leave the interview. This may or may not work and if it doesn’t and the interrogator wishes to speak with you further, then you have the right to remain silent. This is a trap that interrogators like to use to get suspects to speak up while incriminating themselves.
What If You Are In A Foreign Country
Part of the reason why it is important to have a military-specific attorney help you with your case is that you may be on foreign lands during the investigation. Because of this, military conviction rates are higher because they have greater jurisdiction that federal courts and can act quickly when you are overseas. If you are charged with a military crime while on base in a foreign country, it is important to refuse to answer any questions until you have been able to get in contact with your defense team. A strong military lawyer with ample connections can fly out to you and defend you in a case that does not take place within the continental United States.
Military conviction rates are a staggering 90% because military court motions move extremely quickly. Don’t get caught up in the situation and be sure to take a step back and survey what your rights are during an investigation. If you are being tried for any crime, make sure you speak with your attorney first before coming to any conclusion about what you should or should not do. Your rights are the same as any other citizen and a military-focused defense counsel will do its best to defend those rights.
