In order to successfully defend and understand someone accused of a violent crime in the military, your military defense attorney needs to have an extraordinary depth of empathy and a wide range of skills. A qualified military attorney will have the following qualities: Vast court martial experience fighting cases from beginning to end, A record of success representing military members accused of ugly crimes; An ability to communicate with and understand a military jury; A willingness to humanize the client for the jury The ability to find the right story and the narrative gifts to tell it effectively; Highly developed cross-examination skills; Success challenging police interrogation methods An absolute refusal to be intimidated by prosecutors; An absolute refusal to be intimidated by military commanders; Experience developing an effective case in mitigation; Experience working with a diverse group of expert consultants; Experience dealing with the media; The stamina and resources to spend a year or more doing grueling work; International travel and living experience. Whenever a US military member is facing a murder charge at court-martial, the media is going to publicize the case. Your attorney needs to be able to cope with media pressure, pressure from the family of the victim, pressure from the military command, and the stigma of defending someone who everyone thinks is a monster. In addition to those obstacles, a death penalty case may last more than a year. It will involve months of pre-trial motions, dozens of witnesses, voluminous exhibits and reports, and numerous experts. Your military defense attorney needs to be able to handle the volume and complexity of that work without buckling under the pressure. At GS&A we have experience defending capital murder, attempted murder, and other violent crimes. We have had experience and training in death penalty defense, including Eyewitness identification mistakes; Police investigative misconduct; Advanced cross examination skills Mitigation; Pathology and neuropsychology; Forensic psychology Blood spatter pattern analysis Crime scene reconstruction; Whichever military attorneys you choose, make sure they have the skills you need. It could make the difference between being free or spending the rest of your life in prison. Both overseas and stateside, military members will continue to face allegations of violent crime. If you or someone you love needs our help, please call us for a free consultation.