2020: Year In Review Part 2

Continuing from Part 1 of 2020: Year In Review I am sharing the second half of the year (July through December) a summary if you will of thoughts, feelings and sometimes complete frustration dealing with a system that’s supposed to protect it’s own. Unfortunately, that system is the reason why my services are now in constant demand. We fight for every soldier and sailor wrongly accused. So I present to you Part 2 of 2020: Year In Review.

July…

WHAT IS THE COURT-MARTIAL PROCESS – When a person is facing court martial in the military, they should understand that the resources and weight of the United States government is being focused against them in order to achieve conviction punishment, which most often includes confinement and discharge. In the military, unlike in the civilian system, the military will roll right into a sentencing proceeding if there has been any finding of guilt.

STRUGGLING TO FIND BOUNDARIES – I am struggling to know where boundaries should be drawn with my clients. Resounding praise stems from clients who know how much I truly care. I’m largely glued to technology and am available to clients via email, phone, and text. Military justice clients are particularly at risk for self-harm because their living and working communities know about the allegations against them and isolate them from any sense of normality.

August…

UCMJ COURT-MARTIAL MILITARY DEFENSE ATTORNEY – Sexual assault is an outrage. It is a crime. I have no tolerance for this. We find out somebody is engaging in this stuff they’ve got to be held accountable, prosecuted, stripped of their positions, court martial, fired, dishonorably discharged, period. It’s not accepted.

A TOUGH, BUT NECESSARY CONVERSATION FOR MILITARY JUSTICE – Having been on the receiving end of more phone calls than I care to relive from frantic loved ones who have just learned of their child’s or significant other’s court-martial, mere days away, I want to advocate for anyone facing an investigation to have a tough, but necessary conversation for military justice.

September…

CAN YOU APPEAL A COURT-MARTIAL – Military court martial convictions are able to be appealed. Depending upon the sentence that is announced in your case, there would be two separate avenues for appeal.

October…

WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM PUNISHMENT FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT IN THE MILITARY? – The uniform code of military justice authorizes a maximum punishment for rape, as life without eligibility for parole.

MIND-BODY CONNECTION FOR MILITARY JUSTICE – There can be little doubt of the mind-body connection. I was diagnosed in late summer of 2017 with Celiac Disease. I had suffered from migraines for more than five years, and I attributed them to stress and screens. My diagnosis was a game-changer. And while I never got the opportunity to say “goodbye” to gluten, I have learned to cope.

November…

THINGS DON’T OFTEN WORK THEMSELVES OUT FOR MILITARY JUSTICE – Trust and faith in the system are often what draws citizens to military service. A blind faith that things will work their way out can and often will jeopardize a person’s career and future.

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF A LETTER OF REPRIMAND – The most notable consequence to a Letter of Reprimand or a General Officer Memorandum of Reprimand is going to be what the filing determination is going to be.

LAW ENFORCEMENT’S REVENGE IN MILITARY JUSTICE – Several times per week we get calls from people who want to correct a record that came up as part of a background check. Typically these people have left the military and are applying for jobs that require examination of their criminal history. With an honest belief they have none, they are astonished when their would-be employer informs them they had been “charged.”

December…

PAY ISSUES IN MILITARY JUSTICE – Has DFAS Ever Paid Anyone Properly? Anyone who has ever received pay and allowances from the government either has personally known an error or has known a buddy who struggled with pay issues; sometimes overpayment and sometimes absence.

I KEEP GETTING OLDER AND THEY KEEP STAYING THE SAME AGE – “I keep getting older but they keep staying the same age…” – Matthew McConaughey in Dazed and Confused. Matthew McConaughey’s beloved character in Dazed and Confused intended this as a positive aspect of being in the company of younger individuals. I do not.

Thank you for allowing me to share Part 2 of 2020: Year In Review with you. If you have questions or comments about this post or any post on this website please leave a reply. And if you need our help, please call The Law Office Of Jocelyn C Stewart at 1(888)463-8727.

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Hire an attorney with a proven record and a commitment to exceptional representation of service members worldwide. As a former JAG for the U.S. Army, Jocelyn C. Stewart prosecuted and defended Soldiers on active duty from 2004 to 2012. Since 2012, UCMJ attorney Stewart has been providing superior representation exclusively to service members in need across all military branches worldwide. Ms. Stewart is determined to provide the best legal counsel possible using unimpeachable tactics to protect each client’s career, reputation and freedom.