Richard V Stevens III

I am a senior military NCO who was falsely accused of sexual assault by another military member. I faced a general court-martial trial. If I had been convicted of sexual assault, I could have been confined for years and I would have had to register as a sex offender. Mr. Stevens represented me in thi...s case. Before the trial, Mr. Stevens drafted and argued multiple motions. This required updated understanding of the latest military law. He prepared the witnesses and evidence and questioned all of the witnesses in the motion hearings, including experts. The result of the motion hearings was that we discovered crucial evidence to use in trial. In trial, Mr. Stevens gave the opening statement, questioned the witnesses, cross-examined the complainant and government witnesses, questioned our witnesses and our expert, and he gave the closing argument. Mr. Stevens' performance in the trial was unlike anything I’d ever seen. His knowledge of the law was impressive, it rolled off his tongue as if he had tried those cases himself. His questioning of witnesses was on a strategic level that most could not fathom. His questioning of our expert was intriguing. His cross-examination of the complainant seemed effortless; his level of preparation was evident. He exposed all her credibility issues and motives to lie. The way he pieced everything together was mind-blowing. The angles he takes are carefully detailed and strategically calculated. His closing argument was extremely thorough. He made sure to address any and all angles that could have been presented by the prosecution. It was impressive! Ultimately, I was found not guilty of the alleged sexual assault. Mr. Stevens' advice, representation, advocacy in the trial, and his work on the case is what saved my career! His attention to detail and ability to think through every aspect of the case is extremely relieving. I absolutely would recommend Mr. Stevens to anyone facing adverse actions, especially sexual assault allegations. His representation is more than I could have imagined. I never doubted if he had my best interest in mind, even if it came to hearing hard truths. He was available when I needed him and even ensured my family understood the process along the way. He answered any questions I had. He is honest, he is thorough, he comes prepared, and he will fight for you!

I am a field grade military officer who faced an Officer Grade Determination (OGD) based on a prior disciplinary action I received. Mr. Stevens did not represent me back when I received the disciplinary action, but I hired him to provide me with guidance and assistance in preparing my OGD response. ... Mr. Stevens' military law experience was one of the reasons I hired him. He provided me with valuable advice and guidance in how to prepare my submission, what to include, what the reviewing authorities would be looking for, and what the process entailed. We went back and forth with drafts of the OGD submission before it was finalized and sent in. Based on Mr. Stevens' advice and representation, I felt that I submitted a very strong OGD package that covered the period of military service at issue, and showed that I should be retired at my highest rank. His advice was invaluable, as a negative board outcome can impact me for life. His availability was excellent, he responded to emails in a timely manner and always was on time for scheduled appointments and process milestones. His was very involved throughout the process, first by explaining the overall OGD process, then by providing templates and examples on how to organize my career history to complete my overall package. Based on my work with Mr. Stevens over an extended period of time, I would highly recommend his services to other military member that needs an attorney in a military law issue.

Attorney Stevens earned the money he was paid, and then some. He hit the ground running as soon as I hired him. He fought zealously for my defense since day 1. He knows the DOD system well. He didn’t just react to their actions, he proactively went on the offense and fought back. He filed an IG comp...laint on my behalf, and multiple objections and challenges to the board prior to it commencing. The days leading up to the board were 16-18 hour days of restless grinding preparing for the case. I didn’t see him eat or get up to take a break the entire week. He called out every misstep by the government (of which there were many), and he had a response for every attack by them. In case prep he will talk to you from a devil’s advocate perspective, and sometimes make you feel like he doesn’t believe you. I assure you he’s just trying to get inside the prosecutor’s mind. It’s necessary and it gets results! Don’t take it personally. His efforts ended up winning me the case with the highest outcome possible …unanimously by the board! He let me know that he’s not disappearing just because it’s over, and that he’s here to help for any future needs. Highly recommend!

I am a senior military officer who faced an involuntary administrative discharge board hearing in which the military was attempting to separate me before I could make it to retirement. If I had been separated at the board hearing, I would have lost not only my military retirement, but my retirement b...enefits. Mr. Stevens represented me in this case from the point I received the discharge notification. This was my career and future at stake so having the right representation was extremely important to me. I talked to countless attorneys before I hired Mr. Stevens to represent me. After our first consultation I hired him not only because of our discussion about the case, but also because of the reviews I read about his courtroom performance and professional demeanor. Mr. Stevens' performance in the board hearing was remarkable. His preparation for the case was extremely comprehensive. He sent me documents to provide details of my case that helped him develop a defensible position. He was easy to get ahold of and answered my countless questions either instantly, or within 24hrs if he was on another case. I had e-mails responding to questions as late as midnight and as early as 0600. There wasn’t a moment that I felt he wasn’t focused on my case even while balancing other clients. In the board hearing (which is very similar to a trial), Mr. Stevens interviewed the witnesses and gathered supporting memos, he gave the opening statement, cross-examined the key government witness, questioned our witnesses, and he gave the closing argument. He had a commanding courtroom presence…cool, calm, and collected. His years of experience showed through his confidence and demeanor. His questioning of witnesses was thorough and no detail in support of my case was left unspoken. His cross-examination of the key government witness revealed a lot of information that was supportive of my retention. After Mr. Stevens cross examination of the government witness, I personally felt that the government witness was more beneficial to the defense after being cross examined by Mr. Stevens. His closing argument was undoubtedly the best that I could have hoped for and was exceptionally comprehensive. No minor detail of the case was missed, and he referred to all applicable military instructions supporting my retention. I felt extremely confident after hearing Mr. Stevens’ closing argument. Ultimately, the board members determined that I should be retained in the service. Mr. Stevens' advice, representation, advocacy in the hearing, and his work on the case was exceptional. Not only did he focus on the case, but also prepared me for every possible outcome. Even after the favorable outcome he checked in on me to make sure I was doing well. From our countless discussions he knew how stressful the overall experience was for me and that even though the board chose to retain me, the stress of the entire experience still negatively impacted my overall mental health. He offered life advice, and it was clear that his concern for my overall wellbeing was genuine. Going through this process was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to deal with and I could not be happier with my decision to have had Mr. Stevens represent me. I offer my STRONGEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION to hire Mr. Stevens if you face allegations and adverse actions in the military justice system.

I am a military officer who was falsely accused of sexual assault by a female military member who had a strong motives to make up the allegations against me. I did not face a court-martial because she elected not to participate in the case after making the allegations, but the military still attempte...d to kick me out through an administrative discharge board hearing. If I had been found responsible in the board hearing, I would have been discharged and I would have likely received an Other Than Honorable Conditions discharge that would have negatively affected my future. Mr. Stevens represented me in this case from the beginning. In the board hearing (which is very similar to a trial), Mr. Stevens gave the opening statement, cross-examined the key government witness, questioned our witnesses and our expert, and he gave the closing argument. Mr. Stevens' performance in the board hearing was phenomenal. His experience and case prep showed immediately, with his opening statement being very effective and highlighting the governments weak case immediately. His questioning of witnesses was also excellent, he knows exactly what questions to ask to draw out the needed information. His cross-examination of the key government witness was very tough, thorough and effective. His closing argument was, likewise, very thorough and persuasive. Ultimately, the board members determined that I did not commit the alleged sexual assault, and there was no basis for discharge. So, they recommended my retention in the military. Mr. Stevens' advice, representation, advocacy in the hearing, and his work on the case was great, and absolutely instrumental in me being retained in the air force. Even when I first hired him, his reputation preceded him, as my assigned ADC told me that he was a great lawyer that some of her colleagues had worked with previously. He was always easy to reach over phone or email, and he was very candid about our chances and our case. His professionalism and presence in the courtroom immediately gave me confidence that we had a fighting chance. I would, without a doubt, recommend Mr. Stevens if you face criminal allegations in the military justice system.