The Law Office of Neal A. Puckett is a military law firm with over 35 years of military and legal experience. We represent military service members in all aspects military criminal defense, military administrative law, non-judicial punishment, and court-martial representation.
Our focus is to protect your rights under the Constitution and Title 10 known, also as the Uniform Code of Military Justice. A uniformed military defense attorney will be assigned to you AFTER you receive a charge sheet. However, during a command-directed investigation or the next step, an investigation by one of the military service investigative arms, you don’t have the right to the assistance of a military defense attorney. Those investigative services, Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), Criminal Investigation Division (CID), Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) or Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) do not operate like the CBS TV Show NCIS. For instance, you will not receive any legal advice by a military defense attorney until after the investigative service determines what they believe to be the facts. This puts you at a distinct disadvantage.
In today’s military environment, it is sometimes wise to ensure your rights are protected by retaining a military defense attorney to communicate with the command as early as possible in the investigation phase and before they charge you with a crime. The Law Office of Neal A. Puckett can speak to commanding officers on their level and in some cases, achieve the right outcome before the case goes to a general or special court-martial.
When you are in need of legal advice, go to your Army trial Defense Service office, Air Force Area Defense Counsel office, Naval Legal Service Office, Marine Corps Legal Service Support Section, or the Coast Guard Legal Services office to find out about your rights. They should tell you to not speak to the investigators who may bring you in and ask you questions. Instead, you should invoke your Article 31 rights, which is the right to remain silent and the right to consult an attorney before questioning. You should also not speak about the incidents under investigation to anyone, including your family and friends. Even your family members (other than your spouse) can be called to testify against you. While it is difficult to remain silent, this is your first line of defense and preserves your options in any military disciplinary action including Captain’s Mast or Article 15, General Officer Memorandum of Reprimand (GOMOR) or Letters of Reprimand, up to and including court-martial.
If you need to talk to someone about your situation … Call Neal A. Puckett, Esq.
