Court-Martial Appeals – Part Four

Similar to civilian criminal courts, appeals are allowed in the military justice system. A service member may appeal their court-martial sentence. This means that a court-martial sentence is not necessarily the end of the story. If there have been errors committed at your court-martial, you may have grounds for appeal.

If you are convicted at a court-martial, then an appeal is your last opportunity to reverse your conviction and/or see your sentence reduced. A court-martial appeal is specialized work and success requires a military defense lawyer who knows both the military and federal civilian court systems inside and out. William Cassara is such a lawyer and has represented numerous service members on appeal.

If you have received a punitive discharge (dismissal, bad-conduct discharge, or dishonorable discharge) or have spent more than a year in jail, then you have what is known as an appeal of right. In other words, your case will automatically be appealed to the Court of Criminal Appeals for your branch of service (Army, Navy-Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.)  If that appeal is unsuccessful there is the possibility of a subsequent appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces; and even the U.S. Supreme Court.

The first step is to reach out. Call Mr. Cassara toll-free at (888) 288-3347 for a free consultation. Mr. Cassara will listen to you and walk you through your options. If you need an experienced court-martial appeal lawyer, call Mr. Cassara today.