Facts:
Three positive tests for methamphetamine made this a difficult case for a Navy Petty Officer at Pearl Harbor. He was already in pretrial confinement at the Navy brig on Ford Island. An acquittal was unlikely, and a court-martial conviction could follow him into civilian life.
Tim Bilecki and military counsel concentrated on changing how the case would be resolved. We negotiated with the prosecution to take all of the charges to a summary court-martial. That agreement changed more than the amount of confinement at stake: it kept the case out of a forum that could impose a punitive discharge.
Our client was released with time served. The resolution avoided the felony drug conviction and punitive discharge that had threatened his future.
Prior results do not predict future outcomes.