Richard V Stevens III

I am a military SNCO who was falsely accused of sexual assault by another military member. I was wrongfully convicted, my case was overturned on appeals, but the Convening Authority preferred charges AGAIN!! I faced a general court-martial trial and, if I was convicted, not only would I have had to f...ace a sentence for something I did not do, but I would also have been required to register as a sex offender. I knew deep down that it was something I did not want to risk so I did my research. Mr. Stevens' name was at the top of every list/person I spoke with, but I didn't think he could live up to the hype. I was so happy to be WRONG about that...he's a BULLDOG in the courtroom! Mr. Stevens represented me in this case, and I was found not guilty at trial. He walked me through the process and was available to answer any questions I may have had. He also provided great advice, wasn't pushy with his recommendations, and reminded me that decisions were ultimately mine. I pled not guilty in front of a military panel ("jury") Mr. Stevens handled all aspects of my court-martial trial. In separate motion hearings, he filed and argued many motions to help us present my defense and obtain discovery. His written motions were very detailed and organized. Likewise, his motion arguments during the motion hearing were a sight to see. When my case went to trial, Mr. Stevens presented both the opening statement and closing argument, and he questioned all major witnesses, to include cross-examining the complaining witness and government expert. Mr. Stevens' opening statement was like something out of a movie. He painted a picture for the jury and did an even better job presenting evidence to back it up. His questioning of the witnesses was even more impressive. Particularly with regard to his questioning of the complaining witness, and exposing her lies and her motive to make false allegations against me. His cross-examination of her was noteworthy. He asked direct questions and impeached her on statements she made at the previous trial. Finally, Mr. Stevens delivered his closing argument, to wrap up the case, and to show the truth of my innocence. His closing argument was very thorough. He walked the jury through everything that he previously laid out. He re-attacked key points, her lies and inconsistencies, and reaffirmed to the jury that anything other than NOT GUILTY was inconceivable! After a long investigation and intense trial, I was found not guilty of the allegation. Mr. Stevens' representation, advocacy, and work on the case was crucial to show my innocence and to combat the idea that all sexual assault allegations must be believed. I would, without a doubt, recommend Mr. Stevens if you face criminal allegations in the military justice system. He is definitely someone that you want on YOUR team.

I am a military NCO who was falsely accused of sexual assault by a civilian who I previously had a relationship with. I faced a general court-martial trial, in which the maximum punishment if convicted was decades in prison, a dishonorable discharge, and I would have had to register as a sex offend...er. Mr. Stevens represented me in this case, and it was ultimately dropped. I entered a plea of not guilty and we were prepared for trial when the complainant backed out and the case was dropped. She did not back out because of luck, there was a lot of work that ended in this result. Mr. Stevens handled all aspects of my case. We had more than one motion hearing, in which Mr. Stevens wrote and filed the motions, questioned the witnesses, and argued the motions in front of the military judge. Several of these motions had to do with discovery we were seeking, and issues regarding the background and credibility of the complainant. Mr. Stevens cross-examined the complainant during the motions hearings. His motions, court performance and arguments during the motion hearing added so much value and pointed out the weak points in the evidence presented by the government. His work during the motion broke down the government's case, and it led to the complainant backing out at the last minute. In preparation for trial, Mr. Stevens wrote and submitted our various filings, and prepared to handle all the major portions of the case - to include voir dire, opening statement, witness questioning, cross-examination of the complainant, and closing argument. I am not a lawyer, and I had a lot of questions about strategy, evidence, procedure, etc. Mr. Stevens always made himself available to answer my questions until I understood his points. He included me in defense discussions and strategy decisions. He made me part of the defense team. I had a lot of anxiety about being falsely accused of something like this, and Mr. Stevens did a lot to work me through what is a very difficult process. My military career had now continued, and the case is behind me. I would definitely recommend Mr. Stevens if you face allegations in the military justice system and/or a court-martial. I believe without the help, guidance and experience that Mr. Steven's brings to the table, my case may not had the positive that I recieved. Although the ADC can be extremely helpful, the addition of an experienced Military Attorney like Mr. Stevens is a necessity.

I am a recently retired military officer with 30yrs of service who was falsely accused of sexual assault by a fellow service member after a night of drinking. I originally was facing a general court-martial trial, in which the maximum punishment if convicted would be decades in military prison, a pun...itive discharge, and I would have had to register as a sex offender. Mr. Stevens represented me in this case and, thanks to his efforts on my behalf, I retired honorably without a conviction. Mr. Stevens began representing me during the investigation phase of the case, leading up to what would have been court-martial charges. However, the electronic evidence in the case showed that I was not guilty of sexual assault. Even though the electronic evidence contradicted the complainant's claim, she continued to falsely insist she had been sexually assaulted that night. Because of this, although the command was forced to drop the court-martial case, they began to take administrative actions against me based on her claims, to try to kick me out of the service. Mr. Stevens continued to represent through this whole process. It was clear from our discussions that he was extremely knowledgeable about military law and had decades of experience. His advice and experience were critical to the successful outcome of my case. Beyond Mr. Stevens' skill as a defense attorney, his support was very important to me. Going through this process, particularly with so much on the line (including retirement), is very difficult and stressful. There were a lot of low points. His support really helped me through when i felt like I was at the lowest and darkest point of my life. I ultimately faced an involuntary administrative discharge board, and Mr. Stevens' advice, representation and assistance were crucial in me winning at the board hearing and being retained in the service. I was then able to retire, honorably, after decades of service and overseas deployments in combat operations. Mr. Stevens' representation and support through this whole process made this successful outcome possible. I give Mr. Stevens my highest possible endorsement and my deepest thanks for savings my life. If you face military allegations and discipline, he is the one I would recommend, above anyone else. He made this outcome, and my retirement, happen for me, when it seemed like the military was determined to end my career and deny me the retirement I had earned. Thanks Mr. Stevens, I'm forever grateful. - Officer client

Mr. Stevens was amazing in defending me throughout my General court Martial and I'm not saying that term lightly. I literally owe him my life and freedom. If you want to be spending time with your loved ones and not sitting in a military prison then you should very much consider reaching out to this ...man. Hiring Mr. Stevens was one of the best decisions I've ever made, and I would do it again a thousand times over. I am a military NCO who was falsely accused of sexual assault and related claims by a civilian. I faced a general court-martial trial, in which the maximum punishment if convicted was decades in prison and I would have had to register as a sex offender. I plead not guilty at trial and Mr. Stevens represented me during my court-martial. This included him filing and arguing pretrial motions, delivering the opening statement, cross-examining the complainant and key government witnesses, calling multiple expert witnesses to the stand on my behalf, and delivering the closing argument. Mr. Stevens has a very good reputation as an ethical and very effective defense attorney in the Military Justice System. It felt like the whole world was against me until Mr. Stevens leveled the playing field. After a long and difficult trial, I was found not guilty of all allegations I faced and I couldn't be happier.

I am a senior military officer who was falsely accused of sexual assault by another military member. A senior sex crimes prosecutor was on the case against me. I was represented and defended by my military defense attorney and I hired Richard Stevens as my civilian defense counsel in the case. Th...e processing of my case was lengthy, but Mr. Stevens was always available to discuss the case with me and to advise me regarding various issues in the case. He always described things in a way that they could be understood and appropriately considered. There were significant legal issues in my case prior to the litigation of the allegations, and Mr. Stevens submitted briefs and argued the discovery and evidentiary issues - which we prevailed on. Mr. Stevens made the opening statement in my case, he questioned the important witnesses, and he delivered the closing argument. Because of my rank, the panel members were very senior, and Mr. Stevens was able to confidently and comfortably communicate to them, based on his prior military experience and the length of his affiliation with the military legal system. His witness questioning skillfully exposed the facts necessary to show my innocence. Mr. Stevens' closing argument was perfect! He tied together the facts, evidence, testimony, and instructions into our theory of the case, and was extremely persuasive in how he argued. He prepared a timeline of the important facts of the case, to indicate the motive of the complainant to make her false claims. He pointed out the inconsistencies in her story, and the inconsistencies between her story and what other witnesses said. After waiting so long to have my case fairly heard, it was a relief to have such a strong and thorough closing argument that left no doubt that the allegations against me were false. That was exactly why I brought Mr. Stevens onto the case! Although I was still nervous about the outcome, I was not surprised when the members announced we had won. It was the right result based on my innocence, but it was also the right legal result, based on the work of my defense attorneys. My career and my retirement were saved. I highly recommend anyone facing legal trouble in the military hire Richard Stevens as their civilian defense attorney, and if they face rape or sexual assault allegations, I can't imagine going to court without attorney Richard Stevens on your side!