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Uniform Code of Military Justice

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20

years of experience combined

300+

Cases Successfully
Resolved

90%+

Win Rate — Because
Results Matter

90%+

Win Rate — Because
Results Matter

UCMJ Defense:

Charged by the System You Swore to Protect? We’re Here to Help

You’ve made so many sacrifices in your life to serve your country and even risked your life for the mission. Which is why it can feel like such a betrayal to face a court-martial or Article 15. One moment you are following orders, and suddenly command is isolating you, OSI starts sniffing around, and you are told to not talk about the situation.
If you feel like your career is hanging by a thread, then it’s time to reach out to our team at Wingman Legal for the UCMJ defense that you deserve. Our founder, Erik Aufderheide, brings the experience and compassion that you need – he’s been through the same fight and knows what it feels like.
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The Back Story

Erik’s Personal Experience with UCMJ Defense

The UCMJ is different, you don’t have the constitution and the bill of rights to protect you as a civilian would.

When Erik was feeling great in his career after being promoted and holding the position of a Brigadier General and base commander, he completed a routine training flight mission and was shocked to walk into his office to be arrested immediately – without probable cause. There was no investigation in this situation. He was accused and then immediately suspended from command.

Everything happened so fast—without probable cause and before an investigation. Based on a politically motivated false allegation alone, Erik was immediately arrested, his command suspended, placed on the public FBI watch list, and he endured a 9-month federal criminal investigation. After being charged without a warrant or probable cause determination, they wiretapped his phone, confiscated his computers, searched his house, and interviewed everyone he has known going back to high school. Erik was humiliated, incurred tens of thousands of unrecoverable defense legal fees, suffered emotional distress, and his reputation was forever negatively impacted. Ultimately, the federal investigation found no probable cause to charge Erik with a crime.

The individuals who made the false allegations were determined to be “non credible” and all allegations against Erik determined “unsubstantiated.” The federal government dropped the charges and Erik’s name was expunged from the FBI data base. Unfortunately, the damage was done and Erik’s future was forever changed. By this time Erik’s family was suffering and his military career permanently diverted.

Erik chose to retire and focus on his family and return to the full – time practice of law…but now more motivated than ever to seek justice for those wrongfully accused and abused by powerful entities. Erik did not passively accept the injustice a betrayal. Erik sued the individuals that made the false allegations for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress resulting in a hansom out of court settlement.

The Harsh Reality: The UCMJ is Not on Your Side

It can be hard to face the reality that you are alone when the UCMJ, your commanders, and the uniform that you gave your life to turns against you. The reality is that commanders don’t need to have probable cause if they want to start an investigation. To make matters worse, you can be punished before a conviction comes through, often causing service members to be isolated, reassigned, and even humiliated.

There is quite a bit of leeway for OSI and CID to dig around. This process isn’t about fairness through military justice, especially when you start to understand that their goal is just to protect the uniform.

If you find yourself in this situation, then it’s essential that you push back hard and fast. You need a legal team that understands UCMJ defense and will fight for your rights. Hiring the right UCMJ defense lawyer will minimize the likelihood that you lose your rank, pension, family, and freedom.

Wingman Legal has access to lawyers with decades of experience as military JA (Judge Advocate) former military prosecutors who know this type of law and witnessed first hand the deep corruption within the Department of Defense. Now retired or separated from the military, they have a passion to right the wrongs of the organization they once worked for by defending those they once were forced to wrongfully prosecute.

Wingman Legal Fights Like It’s Our Own Battle

We bring a strong defense and feel like it’s our own name on the line. Because we know how command thinks and understand the political motives, our legal team is here to build the case and drive the defense that you need to protect your reputation and rights.

When you choose Wingman Legal, we are here to help with Article 15, Article 32, Court Martial proceedings, and responses to Administrative Discipline, and more. We are even prepared to help if you are facing a full-blown court-martial. Our legal team can fight for both officers and enlisted alike, ensuring that you have an aggressive legal service to advocate for your rights through this whole process. Our fight is focused on defending your life’s work.

Everything is at Stake; You Need a Trusted Legal Team

The most important decision that you can make during this challenging time is hiring outside legal services to defend your rights. Even though you can choose to work with a military lawyer, it’s important to understand that this legal representative is working for the system. Our team at Wingman Legal doesn’t work for the system – we work for YOU.

When you bring independent firepower from an experienced legal team, you gain access to insider strategy and a true advocate who can help you achieve an ideal outcome. We aren’t afraid to challenge command decisions, uncover evidence manipulation, and even put pressure on the chain-of-command to achieve the results that you deserve.

Because we have first-hand experience looking behind the curtain, we know how to prepare the defense strategy that you need during this difficult situation.

Don’t Let Them End Your Career. Wingman Legal is Here to Help

The worst thing that you can do during this time is sit back and hope for the best. You need to hire a legal team that will demand justice and fight for your rights in court. Wingman Legal offers the full-service legal support that you need to help you get your name out of the mud and your life back on track again.
For more information, reach out to talk to a UCMJ defense attorney as soon as possible. We’ll review your case and provide personalized recommendations to help you achieve an ideal outcome.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Will a JAG attorney help me?
Even though you have the option to work with a JAG attorney (Area Defense Counsel), you need to remember that they are part of the system. Officers assigned as Area Defense Counsel are usually very young and inexperienced attorneys in their first military assignment. Also, since their career is tied to the military, it can influence the way they approach your case. Instead, you need an independent and aggressive UCMJ defense attorney that doesn’t answer to the command chain.
Don’t talk to the investigators without first consulting with an independent private UCMJ defense lawyer. One of the biggest mistakes that you can make is trying to clear it up without legal support, because your actions could be held against you.
Even if you have been charged and punished, it’s possible to fight back. You might have grounds for appeal or even an option for record correction. Remember that time is an important factor in this process, which is why it’s best to hire an attorney as soon as possible.
We’ve lived through this same situation and understand the potential consequences you are facing. We fight the system to protect individuals like you.

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