The Law Office of Neal A. Puckett

                                                                 "Experience you can trust for all your military legal needs"

Home   ~   Do's & Don'ts   ~   Non-Judicial Punishment   ~   Courts-Martial   ~   Article 32 Investigation

Neal A. Puckett

 Attorney At Law

Military Criminal Defense Attorney specializing in the defense of service members from all branches of the Armed Forces.  A practicing attorney since 1984, Mr. Puckett's career has encompassed the entire range of military law practice and over 1,000 cases both at home and abroad.

A former military trial judge and Law Center Director in Okinawa, Japan, Mr. Puckett has presided over numerous military felony trials involving all types of crimes, from assaults to crimes involving child abuse, as well as rape and murder cases.  In 1993 alone, he had the distinction of having tried more cases than any other judge in the Department of Defense, hearing over 168 criminal trials that included 70 jury trials.

Prior to being appointed a military judge, Mr. Puckett distinguished himself as a gifted prosecutor and defense attorney, representing over 320 clients and litigating 30 jury trials.  A certified trial practitioner, he has excelled in the investigation, preparation, and presentation of felony criminal cases to juries, and has successfully defended service members accused of felony crimes such as homicide, sexual assault, and child abuse cases.  Likewise, he has prosecuted a myriad of felony cases involving similar offenses.

Mr. Puckett's distinguished criminal career was instrumental in his selection as a member of the prosecution trial team for National Security cases involving allegations of espionage conducted at the U.S. Embassies in Moscow and Vienna.

A Distinguished Legal Career

Successful defense of accused service members on a global scale, to include such places as Iraq, Kuwait, Germany, Hungary, Spain, Japan, California, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

Successful defense of capital murder case and involvement in over 1,000 military cases, Article 32 investigations, Special and General Courts-Martials, administrative discharge proceedings, and Officer Boards of Inquiry.

• Responsibility for all legal services provided to military members and their families stationed in Okinawa, Japan, to include criminal defense, prosecution, post-trial review, domestic/family law, wills, and laws of war training.

• Trained and supervised over 60 trial attorneys in all aspects of felony and misdemeanor investigations and prosecutions.

• Supervised 20 attorneys and 40 legal specialists as Law Center Director.

• As Assistant Federal Public Defender for the Northern District of Florida, provided trial defense and appellate counsel services to criminal defendants in federal court, representing nearly 200 defendants accused of robbery, bank fraud, embezzlement, narcotics trafficking, illegal weapons, postal theft, and immigration violations.

Training And Education

• Master of Laws (LL.M), Criminal Law, University of San Diego School of Law (1989).

• Juris Doctor (J.D.), Indiana University School of Law (1984).

• Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, double major in Psychology and Speech Communication, Indiana University (1977).

• Master of Arts (M.A.), National Security & Strategic Studies, U.S. Naval War College (1993).

• Adjunct Professor of Law, Creighton University School of Law, Omaha, Nebraska.

• Adjunct Professor, Legal Education, Chapman University, Orange, California.

• Adjunct Professor, Legal Education, National University, San Diego, California.

Licensure

Mr. Puckett is licensed to practice law in all military installations around the world, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the State of Indiana, and the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.

Contact Mr. Puckett