CONUS COURT-MARTIAL DEFENSE LAWYER
MILITARY JUSTICE
If you are facing a court-martial, Board of Inquiry, or administrative separation board anywhere in the western United States, you need an aggressive civilian defense lawyer on your side immediately. As a CONUS court-martial defense lawyer, David S. Hendrickson has spent years trying and winning courts-martial. He represents service members at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Naval Base San Diego, Fort Carson, Shaw Air Force Base, and installations throughout the United States — fighting to protect your rank, pay, retirement, and freedom.
CONUS Court-Martial and UCMJ Defense
From courts-martial and Boards of Inquiry to other UCMJ defense and administrative actions, these are the cases I handle for service members in CONUS. Click any area below to learn more.
Court-Martial Defense Lawyer in CONUS: What You Need to Know
What’s at stake in a court-martial in CONUS?
A court-martial conviction can cost you your career, your freedom, and your future. The potential consequences include confinement, a punitive discharge, reduction in rank, and forfeiture of pay. For enlisted members, that means a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge; for officers, a dismissal. A conviction can also trigger sex-offender registration and the loss of retirement, health care, and other veterans’ benefits. Furthermore, you carry a federal conviction that can affect civilian employment, housing, and professional licensing. Being stationed stateside does not soften these consequences — a federal record and a punitive discharge follow you wherever you go.
How are courts-martial handled at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Shaw Air Force Base?
Courts-martial in CONUS fall under your branch and command’s convening authority, which varies depending on where you are stationed. For Army cases, that is typically your installation or division-level command — for example, I Corps at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, or FORSCOM installations like Fort Carson and Fort Liberty. For Air Force cases, it falls under your wing commander and major command — such as Air Combat Command, which oversees Shaw Air Force Base. For Navy and Marine Corps cases, the convening authority is generally your regional or installation commander. The convening authority decides whether to prefer charges, refer your case to court-martial, and approve any sentence. Having tried courts-martial across multiple branches and commands, I know how each service investigates, charges, and tries cases — and how to build an effective defense within that system.
When should I hire a defense lawyer?
The moment you suspect you are under investigation — whether by CID, NCIS, AFOSI, or your command. In fact, the most critical defense work often happens before charges are ever preferred, while the command is still gathering information and deciding how far to take the case. Getting counsel early helps you avoid statements and decisions that can harden the case against you. As a result, early intervention can sometimes resolve matters before they ever reach a court-martial.
Won’t the military assign me a lawyer for free?
Yes — the military will assign you defense counsel at no cost, and many are dedicated and capable. However, appointed counsel across CONUS vary widely in experience and caseload. At larger installations, trial defense offices may handle a high volume of cases, which can limit the time and attention your case receives. In addition, military defense attorneys rotate on short tours, which can disrupt continuity in a case that takes months to resolve. By contrast, a civilian defense lawyer gives you dedicated, experienced representation from start to finish — chosen by you, not assigned to you.
CONUS Bases We Serve
Eglin AFB
At Eglin, where the 96th Test Wing anchors a base full of weapons, spectrum, and special operations missions, legal issues often get handled with the same test-range precision that defines the installation itself.
Fort Bragg
Home to the 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg’s legal system is built around paratroopers, fast-moving units, and cases that often carry the weight of division-level scrutiny.
Fort Bliss
With the 1st Armored Division and 32d Army Air and Missile Defense Command on post, Fort Bliss tends to see military justice through the lens of armor formations, air defense units, and a huge training base that feeds El Paso-area enforcement.
Fort Hood
Fort Cavazos is dominated by the 1st Cavalry Division, so its legal climate reflects a post built around large maneuver units, field problems, and the discipline issues that come with a heavyweight combat formation.
Fort Campbell
Fort Campbell’s 101st Airborne Division gives its legal office a very visible airborne culture, where command attention often centers on the standards expected of Soldiers who wear the Screaming Eagle patch.
Fort Carson
Fort Carson’s 4th Infantry Division gives the post a mountain-warrior identity, and that shows up in how commanders handle everything from field conduct to everyday Soldier accountability.
Fort Drum
At Fort Drum, the 10th Mountain Division’s “Mountain Justice” team handles citations, courts-martial, and administrative actions in a way that matches the post’s reputation for being isolated, cold, and very standards-driven.
Fort Stewart
Fort Stewart’s 3rd Infantry Division drives a legal environment shaped by armor, infantry, and artillery units spread across a massive Georgia training base where command discipline is always close to the surface.
JBLM
With I Corps and the 7th Infantry Division at its core, JBLM handles legal issues across a sprawling joint installation where Army and Air Force life overlap but the Army’s expeditionary mission sets the tone.
Naval Station Norfolk
At Naval Station Norfolk, legal problems often sit in the shadow of the Fleet’s biggest waterfront, where carrier, surface, and strike-group communities make accountability feel very much tied to shipboard readiness.
Naval Base San Diego
Naval Base San Diego, home to the Pacific Fleet’s surface force hub and more than 150 tenant commands, handles military justice in a setting where shipboard life, pier-side discipline, and fleet support all collide.
Camp Pendleton
Camp Pendleton’s 1st Marine Division gives the base a hard-edged ground-combat culture, so military justice there often reflects the expectations of a division that lives close to the field and the sea.
Camp Lejeune
Camp Lejeune, centered on II MEF, handles legal issues in a way that matches a base built to generate Marine Air-Ground Task Force formations and deploy them quickly when needed.
Joint Base Andrews
Joint Base Andrews, anchored by the 316th Wing, has a legal and security environment shaped by high-visibility airlift, tenant commands, and the constant pressure of protecting one of the most watched flight lines in the military.
Joint Base Langley-Eustis
With Air Combat Command at Langley and Army aviation and sustainment elements at Eustis, the base’s legal landscape is really two cultures in one: fighter-wing standards on one side and Army training discipline on the other.
Joint Base San Antonio
Joint Base San Antonio’s legal world is split between Lackland’s training pipeline and Randolph’s flying-training heritage, so cases there often reflect the realities of student Airmen, instructors, and a huge joint base system.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a military defense lawyer if I am under investigation in CONUS?
If you are under investigation anywhere in the Continental United States, you should take the situation seriously from the beginning. In many cases, getting legal advice before answering questions, making statements, consenting to searches, or trying to explain yourself informally can make a major difference.
Do you handle court-martial cases throughout the Continental United States?
Yes. I represent service members across CONUS facing court-martial and other serious UCMJ matters, including cases that can affect liberty, rank, pay, promotion potential, retirement, and long-term military benefits.
Can you help if I am stationed at a base that is not specifically listed on this page?
Yes. This page highlights major installations in the Continental United States, but I represent service members at bases throughout CONUS, not just the ones specifically named here. If you are stationed at another Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, or joint installation, you should still reach out.
Do you represent all branches of the military in CONUS cases?
Yes. I represent service members across the military in serious justice and adverse administrative matters, including cases involving courts-martial, Article 15 / NJP, investigations, and separation proceedings.
Why do service members in CONUS hire civilian military defense counsel?
Service members in CONUS hire us because they want the strongest defense they can get and independent counsel whose only job is to protect them. Many clients come to us specifically because of our reputation for high‑quality military defense and because they want focused representation from the very beginning of a case. They often seek help before answering questions, responding to adverse paperwork, speaking with investigators, or agreeing to command requests that could make their situation harder to fix later. That level of early, strategic guidance is not usually available through base legal. Others reach out after action has already been taken against them, once they become frustrated with the limitations of their appointed military counsel and want a defense team that can push back more aggressively on their behalf.
What kinds of CONUS military cases do you handle?
I handle court-martial defense, Article 15 / NJP defense, administrative separation matters, military investigations, adverse paperwork, sexual assault allegations, drug allegations, false official statement allegations, orders violations, disobedience allegations, officer misconduct matters, and other serious UCMJ-related cases.
Can you help before charges are filed?
Yes. Some of the most important defense work happens before charges are preferred, while the command is still gathering information, making decisions, and deciding how far to take the case.
Talk to a CONUS Military Defense Lawyer
If you are stationed in CONUS and need a military defense lawyer, contact me for a confidential consultation. If you are being investigated, accused of a UCMJ offense, facing court-martial, or worried that command action is coming, now is the time to protect yourself.