Serving all 7 continents
Camp Hansen
Court Martial Defense
At Bilecki Law Group, We believe every service member has earned their right to an aggressive defense on their day in court. We specialize in taking the fight to the prosecution and winning cases that others said were unwinnable.
Camp Hansen’s Regional Brig Makes Excellent Court Martial Defense A Priority
To be clear, it is not the brig command or the personnel that service the location who prioritize the best court martial defense. Rather, the brig itself and the intentionally harsh restrictions deployed there means anyone facing time at the regional brig better have the peace of mind that they left nothing on the table when it came to their defense. It’s hard to come to terms with being confined there for a year and all because you didn’t fight to get those extra punitive article charges the prosecution piled on removed. Yet, as often as we are in and out of Camp Hansen we see time and time again good service members who just didn’t get the aggressive defense they needed. Family and friends are thousands of miles away and the isolation combined with the stringent restrictions is unbearable. Friends, if you are facing investigation or court martial in the Pacific and Marine Corps Installation Pacific Brig is even a possibility then you need to “lawyer up” as they say right now. Get serious and experienced military court martial defense by your side and with your permission, we’ll take a few minutes and show you how you fight back and win.
Take The Fight To The Heart Of The Military Justice System At Camp Hansen
Now, there are without a doubt some guilty Marines who did indeed run afoul of the UCMJ confined at Camp Hansen. We’re not saying that they are all innocent. What we are saying is that it was never necessary for many of them to spend part of their young lives confined there. In many cases, stellar top notch military court martial defense is about securing the best possible outcome for your client.
The discernible truth is that Marines do some stupid things at times. Often, those things runs contrary to the UCMJ and yet, those are the very Marines we’re going to want in a fight when a war in the Pacific goes hot. We don’t want those Marines out of the fight and we sure as hell don’t want them spending any more time in the regional brig at Camp Hansen than is necessary.
Another discernible truth is that Marines who fight back and take that fight to the heart of the military justice system fare better than Marines who take the first deal the prosecution drops at their feet. The prosecution loves an easy win and when we deny them that they know they have a fight on their hands. Military prosecutors hate a fight and that’s how we secure you the best possible outcome.
What Kind Of Charges Can You Fight And Win At Camp Hansen?
The team here at Bilecki are military veterans ourselves and we absolutely love defending our Marines. Much like Eleanor Roosevelt who once famously said “The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marine Corps.” Marines give us some of the most fascinating cases we come across and it is a damn honor to defend and secure the best possible outcome for them. Here are just a few of the charges we defend for Marine and service members and we think you’ll quickly see that we don’t scare easily.
- UCMJ Article 120 or Article 134 (Sex Offenses) –Â 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.
When we take on a case under Article 120 and 134 charges, we examine every piece of evidence available to us. Unfortunately, when it comes to Marines that often times includes the proverbial “pictures we can’t unsee.” We wish it were not the case, but there’s not enough eye bleach in the world to undo what we’ve seen in discovery, but we keep fighting the good fight.
That being said, digital evidence is key in charges of this nature. Text messages, emails, snapchats and more routinely demonstrate our client’s innocence. The prosecution is not looking for this exculpatory evidence because it will ruin their case. Why pursue the truth if it hurts your stats, right? We conduct our own investigation and find the evidence that the prosecution intentionally overlooks.
The military’s current campaign to root out sexual as assault in the military known as Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) is turning out to be a disaster. While well intended, the poor execution has resulted in a climate where commands are under immense pressure to show they are taking the matter seriously.
This has resulted in allegations being treated as objective fact and good service members being branded a monster for the rest of their life when they are objectively innocent. It’s not right and it sure as hell is not justice. If you are facing these charges in the era of SAPR you must take them seriously and it is imperative to secure experienced top notch military court martial defense now. - UCMJ Article 121 (Fraud and Larceny) – We defend cases such as conspiracy to defraud the military, BAH fraud, OHA fraud, extortion, larceny, wrongful appropriation, and more. The Marines often have a saying that there is only one thief in the Marine Corps and everyone else is just getting their stuff back.
This means accusations of fraud and wrongful appropriation can abound at Camp Hansen and many Marines genuinely don’t think they are doing anything wrong. Truthfully, charges under Article 121 often result from simple mistakes or financial procedures misapplied. It was a mistake, you didn’t rob Fort Knox and your career shouldn’t end over Article 121 charges. - UCMJ Article 128 (Assault and Violent Crime) – We represent service members facing charges including murder, manslaughter, aggravated assault, assault, and cases involving self-defense and defense of another. This is a big charge out of Camp Hansen because, God love them for it, Marines love to fight. They just do and it is part of the culture that makes them what they are today.
The problem comes in when a simple fight escalates when a makeshift weapon like a pool cue or beer bottle gets involved. We simply cannot be taking our Marines out of the fight for this nation’s future over a common altercation. When a 140 pound Grunt mistakenly calls a 210 pound supply clerk a POG and a fight ensues, that’s just part of esprit de corps. We need them both and we’ll fight to keep both of them in the fight. - UCMJ Article 112a (Drug Crimes) – 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.
Japan takes drug charges seriously and if you find yourself facing such charges in Japan, it is essential that you get experienced counsel on your side that understands the various military and civilian jurisdictions at play. It is almost always the case that there is some civilian influence involved and yet, it is so often that it is our military service members that suffer the most extreme punishments. - Punitive Articles of the UCMJ 77-134 (Military Specific Offenses) – These include charges such as fraternization, unauthorized absence (AWOL), disobeying a lawful order, conduct unbecoming an officer, and much more. For those who served in the Corps, they’ll be quick to tell you that not a night goes by in the barracks where the punitive articles are not ravaged.
You simply cannot collect a group of late teen and early 20 something year old men and women, fuel them with alcohol and a culture for adventure while expecting anything less. If you have served in the military then you have violated at least one of the punitive articles at one point in your career.
The problem comes in when commands decide to apply the punitive articles in an arbitrary and capricious manner. It gets worse when prosecutors pile on punitive article charges just to scare a Marine into pleading guilty. You have to fight the punitive articles because this is where they pile on the punishment.
Fight The Abuse And Misuse Of The UCMJ At Camp Hansen
Marines out of Camp Hansen are often at a disadvantage when it comes to fighting the UCMJ because overseas installations and commands are always worried about an international incident. This means charges that wouldn’t have seen the light of day stateside get prosecuted with vigor overseas.
That’s because the purpose of the UCMJ has always been to secure military order and discipline. For that to work, they need to make a public example out of others to scare the rest of the Marines into compliance. The more they destroy you in public the better the UCMJ works. This is why you can’t count on mercy when it comes to a fight with the military justice system. It is naturally incentivized to give you the worst possible outcome and let others watch them do it.
If you are facing investigation or court martial out of Camp Hansen then you have to gear up for a fight. Like a war you didn’t ask for, it is coming whether you want it to or not. You might even love the Marine Corps, but the reality is that you cannot coexist with a military justice system that is trying to destroy you.
If you don’t fight back, they will take everything from you. You have to fight for your career, retirement, and your freedom from time spent at the regional brig there. We know that our office is in Tampa, Florida, but Marines routinely fly us into Camp Hansen to defend them for a reason. We have been to Okinawa well over 100 times, and we take the fight to the heart of the military justice system with aggression. We cede to them nothing and take from them everything.
Give us a call and reach out to us. We’ll give you a free defense strategy session and shoot you straight on exactly what you are facing. You shouldn’t do this alone and we know how hard it is while stationed overseas and thousands of miles from family. Reach out to us and we’ll be on a plane ready to fight by your side. You have to fight back and get us into that fight.
Facing an Allegation?
Contact Bilecki Law Group
Timothy James Bilecki
Military law attorney
- tbilecki@bileckilawgroup.com
- Tampa, FL 33602
Years of Experience
Court Martial Verdicts
Service Members Represented
Miles Traveled
QUESTIONS? WE GOT YOU COVERED
FAQs About Military Court Martial Defense In Japan
The most common criminal offenses in Camp Hansen and the rest of Okinawa are sexual assault crimes, drug possession and distribution, and sting operation cases. Other crimes, while not as common, still occur throughout the region. These include theft, assault, and housing fraud, among others.
Absolutely. We travel to Okinawa all the time. Our Okinawa court martial defense lawyers have been to Okinawa over 50 times defending service members stationed there. We know the area, know the commands and know the culture. We don’t need to be babysat once we land in Naha. When we land, we are prepared to work and ready to begin.
“If you play the game by their rules and on their battlefield, you’ve got an exceptionally low chance of winning. Don’t play by their rules. Give them the last thing they were looking for... a FIGHT!”
- Timothy J. Bilecki
your path to legal defense
Get in Touch
- tbilecki@bileckilawgroup.com
- 813-669-3500
- Bilecki Law Group, PLLC, 601 S. Harbour Island BLVD, Suite 109 Tampa, FL 33602