Serving all 7 continents
Camp Zama
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 Zama trusts Bilecki Law Group for court defense
On any given day of the year, a court martial is a frightening affair for a Soldier to face. When you are stationed at Camp Zama in Japan, a court martial is a damn nightmare. To start, you are more likely to get prosecuted by commands for seemingly innocuous behavior than you are stateside. That’s because commands are so concerned about local sentiment regarding the presence of U.S. Soldiers in Japan that they will charge you for any and everything that they possibly can to appease the locals. They will then prey upon the fact that you are thousands of miles from home and alone to coerce you into admitting guilt. Finally, once you do, they will absolutely destroy you in a public fashion as a sacrifice on the altar of local public relations. They know your options for local court martial defense are few and they pray that you’ll just accept the free JAG defense attorney that they provide for you – who, by the way, is located at Camp Humphreys, Korea. That’s where we come in. We fly in hard-hitting attorneys from the United States who know how to take the fight right to the heart of the prosecution. We don’t play their game by their rules on their battlefield and that is why we win.
Taking The Fight To The Heart Of The Prosecution At Camp Zama
Just a few days before General Douglas MacArthur accepted the Japanese surrender on the USS Missouri, he landed in Japan at Atsugi Naval Air Station. What’s remarkable about this trip was that he landed with just a small force of troops to address millions of Japanese soldiers who had yet to be disarmed. His staff was fearful for his life, but MacArthur walked off the plane with swagger and determined confidence was the best way to earn the respect of the still armed Japanese Army. It worked like a charm and though it was chaotic, the Japanese occupation is known today as resounding success.
That’s sort of how we feel when we step off the plane in Japan for any case that we defend. Confident and walking with swagger, we are ready to take on the whole military justice system that is armed to the teeth with every resource available to them. We’re not afraid and we’re not about to back down. That’s also why military prosecutors shake in their boots a bit when they find out that you’ve flown in top-notch counsel from the United States to defend you. They know they’ve got a fight on their hands and that is the last thing they ever want.
Look, you might even love the military but it is a discernible truth that you cannot coexist with a military justice system that is out to destroy you. You’ve got a fight on your hands whether you want one or not and so it is best to move forward with a combat mindset. If you play by their rules you will lose and they will destroy you. If you fight back you can secure for yourself the best possible outcome, but only if you fight.
What Charges Can You Fight And Defend At Camp Zama?
When MacArthur landed in Japan, he wasn’t hoping for mercy. Rather, he was demanding respect. He wasn’t scared by the odds and neither are we. We take the cases other court martial defense attorneys run from and most importantly, we win. Below you’ll see just a few of the charges we defend at Camp Zama and we think you’ll see that we don’t scare easily.
- UCMJ Article 120 or Article 134 (Sex Offenses) – 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.
The military’s ongoing campaign to root out sexual misconduct can be classified as nothing less than an unmitigated disaster. While we applaud the intent, the execution has created a culture where accusations are treated as objective truth and even a mere rumor is enough to kill a career. Even if they don’t have enough to prosecute you, they will try to end your career through administrative means. If you are charged under these articles, you only hope is to fight back. - 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. BAH fraud is one of the most common charges we fight and it typically boils down to a young service member making a mistake. It shouldn’t end a career and it’s the same with other frivolous property 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. Wherever two soldiers and a bottle of sake are present, a fight is always a possibility. This is just part and parcel of military culture.
The problem is when the fight gets out of control or a makeshift weapon like a pool cue or beer bottle gets involved. A simple Soldier’s fight can escalate quickly into a career ending charge. There are always two sides of the story when it comes to a brawl and we’ll fight to make sure yours is heard. - 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. Throughout Japan, there is a common sentiment among the local population that resents U.S. military service member’s presence because of off-base incidents.
Command’s are fearful of these public incidents and will wield the punitive articles fast and often in order to maintain discipline overseas. As such, military prosecutors will often pile on the punitive articles just to make a better example out of you in order to scare others into compliance. You can secure for yourself the best possible outcome by fighting these pile-on charges.
You Can Fight A Court Martial At Camp Zama And Win
Once Bilecki gets on the case, we waste no time conducting our own investigation into the facts. We investigate our own cases because we have learned that you cannot count on military investigators to uncover the truth. They are looking for guilt from the very start and they will look the other way if they uncover facts that threaten that guilt. Not to mention, they almost always make mistakes in due process that are either intentional or just negligent.
We then put together an aggressive defense that is a punch in the mouth to the prosecution’s case. We’ve developed a reputation for our hard hitting defense and that’s why we’ve even had prosecutors drop the charges just days before the trial. They knew that we were about to destroy them because their case was bs from the start. We shred their witnesses during cross examination and we don’t apologize for doing so.
When you fight back, the prosecution starts looking for a way out because they want an easy win. You have to fight back and this is true even if you did make a mistake and make a poor decision. Fighting back will secure for you the best possible outcome. No, you shouldn’t have been playing hide the pickle with you junior enlisted personnel. You’re going to get in trouble, but you didn’t rape anyone. Don’t let them overcharge you because you think that there is no hope. You can fight back and you can win.
If you are facing investigation or court martial out of Camp Zama, reach out to us for a free court martial defense strategy session. We’ll shoot you straight and let you know exactly what you are facing. Our HQ might be in Tampa, Florida, but if you are ready to fight we will be on a plane to Japan in order to fight by your side. Reach out to us and get us into the 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
Under the former Obama administration, sexual assault and other sex crime charges skyrocketed. Under the Trump administration, this hasn’t changed. Sting operations were established in Okinawa and mainland Japan to lure service members into engaging in sex with women they assumed were minors. Other criminal offenses, such as drug use, possession, and distribution, as well as OHA fraud, are still common in the area.
Bilecki Law Group defends service members against all offenses under the UCMJ. If you’ve been accused of any crime whatsoever, contact our law offices immediately for a confidential consultation.
We take dozens of cases every year for service members stationed in mainland Japan. Mr. Bilecki has traveled to Japan over 50 times to defend service members at courts-martial. Depending on the nature of the case, we may need to fly to your location more than once.
“If you play the game by their rules and on their battlefield, you’ve got a 10% or less 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