Serving all 7 continents
Camp Lejeune
Court Martial Defense
Marine General Chesty Puller's famous quote reflects the paradox of some soldiers' destinies. At Camp Lejeune, this complexity persists. Dedicated military court martial lawyers are essential to defend Marines with equal fervor in court as they exhibit in combat zones.
A Camp Lejeune Military Court Martial Lawyer That’s Made for the Marines
Famed Marine General Lewis “Chesty” Puller once famously said, “Take me to the brig, I want to see the real Marines.” While the Marine Corps is certainly known for their discipline, that mantra led many Camp Lejeune Marines to spend a night two in the brig with pride. As military court martial lawyers, we can testify to you that there are some men and women who just seemed destined for greatness in combat and simultaneously destined for the brig when they are in garrison. That’s the conundrum that we think General Puller so aptly conveys and that complexity is alive and well at Camp Lejeune. What those Marines need is a military court martial lawyer who is going to fight as hard for those Marines in a courtroom as those Marines are willing to fight for us in the streets of Iraq or the mountains of Afghanistan.
A Marine Has No Better Friend or No Worse Enemy Than The UCMJ
Borrowing the words of another legendary Marine General, James “Chaos” Mattis said to the world during the GWOT wars that there was no better friend and no worse enemy than a United States Marine. Unfortunately, the same could be said for the UCMJ. The Uniform Code of Military Justice is the foundation of military discipline and it arms Officers and NCOs with the ability to demand the very best of their Marines at all times.
However, when misapplied or it fails to take into context the full sum of a Marines career it can be a cruel friend. Multiple sustained deployments and awards for valor are of little defense when a military prosecutor wants to make a point via the application of the UCMJ. If the sum of your career or your retirement is on the line, a Marine has to fight back.
When A Marine Needs to Call a Military Lawyer
We’ll be honest and say that if your average Lance Corporal got in an argument during a night out in Jacksonville, we may not really the military lawyer you call for such offenses. However, if that argument turned into a fight involving a pool que, a knife or perhaps a knife hand that seriously injured or killed someone, then you that’s a case we would be interested in.
The Bilecki Law Group is a boutique law firm that specializes in defending serious court martial cases. We focus on the big cases that can land you in prison for years, perhaps a lifetime. While the UCMJ has three levels of court martial, summary, special, and general court martial, the majority of the cases we take on are typically appropriate for a GCM. However, that is not always the case.
We are the firm you call when the sum of your career, retirement, freedom, or life’s on the line. That’s because when we come into the courtroom, we bring the house, and we show up to win. We want to be in the courtroom because that is where your best chance to fight back resides.
What Types of Cases Does The Bilecki Law Group Defend?
So, what type of cases do we handle for Marines or any other military personnel in the Camp Lejeune vicinity? The you’ll see below is not all-inclusive, but this should give you an idea of the types of cases we handle and how hard we are willing to fight on your behalf.
- Sex Offenses (UCMJ Article 120, 134) – These cases can include rape, sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault, abusive sexual contact, sexual assault of a minor, indecent viewing, indecent recording, forcible pandering, indecent exposure, and other Article 120 and Article 120(c) offenses. Keep in mind that a Marine need only to be accused to find their career in jeopardy.
- Fraud and Larceny (UCMJ Article 121) – We defend cases such as conspiracy to defraud the military, BAH fraud, OHA fraud, extortion, larceny, wrongful appropriation, and more. The Marines have a saying that, “gear adrift is a gift” along with, “there is only one thief in the Marine Corps and everyone else is getting their stuff back.” There are innocent Marines and Marines who have made a mistake, and neither should cost a Marine their career.
- Assault and Violent Crime (UCMJ Article 128) – We represent service members facing charges including murder, manslaughter, aggravated assault, assault, and cases involving self-defense and defense of another. Marine’s fight, it is kind of their thing. What would otherwise be a routine disagreement can escalate quickly. It doesn’t have to end a career.
- Drug Crimes (UCMJ Article 112a) – We defend cases involving drug possession, drug distribution, drug importation, drug manufacturing, drug trafficking, positive urinalysis cases, tampering with urinalysis cases, and more. These cases often involve illegal controlled substances such as marijuana, LSD, methamphetamines, cocaine, ecstasy, molly, opioids, analogues, and more. Over the past 20 years, our Marines have had to process a great deal of complex trauma during the era of GWOT. At times, a good Marine made for the battlefield will struggle in the barracks. They need good defense.
- Military Specific Offenses (UCMJ Articles 77-134) – These include charges such as fraternization, unauthorized absence (AWOL), disobeying a lawful order, conduct unbecoming an officer, and much more. Here is where most of the Marines General Puller was talking about find themselves. Strong legal defense is the hallmark of our judicial system. Unfortunately, Marines often have to retain civilian defense counsel to get it.
Protecting the Legal Rights of Marines in Any Clime and Place
As you can see, we don’t take the easy cases and we are not afraid to bring the staunchest legal defense for the most serious of charges. That’s why members of the military will fly The Bilecki Law Group into far places like Hawaii, Korea, Europe and beyond for their court martial defense. While we do serve all branches on any post around the world, our current focus is the Eastern Seaboard and the Southeast of the United States.
This puts the Marines at Camp Lejeune right in the middle of our AOR. This means when a Marine is being court martialed under the UCMJ, we show up in court ready to fight. Again, fighting in court is what we do and with over 250 successful court martial defenses under our belts, we will put our stats up against any other military defense lawyer in the game.
Don’t Fight the Military Justice System Alone
In our dealings with Marines, we can testify to their willingness to fight. Laying down in front of some abuse of the UCMJ doesn’t seem to be in their blood, but they do need help. We’ve heard many Marines who have been previously deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan say that when they hear the first “snap” and “crack” of a bullet flying overhead, they are not thinking about the UCMJ or anything other than the Marine to the left and to their right. That’s what Marines are fighting for at the end of the day, each other.
The Military Justice System is a behemoth and a battle that you don’t have to fight alone. Mr. Bilecki spent over 8 years in the Army as a Defense Services Attorney and a Senior Defense Counsel. After resigning his commission, he has been fighting for Marines for well over a decade in private practice. He can testify to you that the predisposition of the military justice system is that they do not like to lose. Unfortunately for them and the misapplication of the UCMJ, we don’t like to lose either. When we take a case, we fight as hard for our Marines in the courtroom as our Marines fight in battle. At the end of the day, we fight for each other.
If you are a Marine or any other uniformed military personnel in the Camp Lejeune radius and you are being charged or are under investigation, reach out for a free consultation so that we can fight on your behalf. Your career, your family, and your retirement require an aggressive defense.
Facing an Allegation?
Contact Bilecki Law Group
Timothy James Bilecki
Military law attorney
- tbilecki@bileckilawgroup.com
- Tampa, FL 33602
Years of Experience
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Get in Touch
- tbilecki@bileckilawgroup.com
- 813-669-3500
- Bilecki Law Group, PLLC, 601 S. Harbour Island BLVD, Suite 109 Tampa, FL 33602