Richard V Stevens III

I am a military officer who was accused of misconduct during my career. Upon direction of my commander, I faced an involuntary administrative discharge board where the government attempted to end my career. Mr. Stevens represented me during my discharge board hearing, which, like a trial, included a...n opening statement, cross-examination of government witnesses, to include my commander, and presenting of witnesses and evidence on my behalf before delivering closing arguments over multiple days. I hired Mr. Stevens, after working with another lawyer whom I fundamentally disagreed with in terms of a winning strategy. My philosophy was that the charges were somewhat petty and taking this to a board in the first place was based on a misinformed and over-reacting command climate. Interestingly, as a result of the disposition of my case, and Mr. Stevens speaking truth to power, the climate has since changed. Coming across as apologetic and throwing myself on the mercy of the board, was not the approach that I sought to take. I wanted to refute the charges, and I believed there was enough on my side to be able to do that. Ergo, I wanted a lawyer that shared the sentiment, and would then step in and SELL that narrative. Although my Area Defense Counsel mostly shared this view as well, and was very competent for his level of experience and I valued his counsel, I wanted the absolute best chance at winning this case, as this was a binding decision and a once in a lifetime event that would forever change the course my life would take. In my mind, it would have been a very regrettable decision to leave that any more to chance then necessary. While Mr. Stevens may or may not have as much notoriety as some lawyers, that isn't what makes a good lawyer. I had previously heard of Rich's work from another service-member, had looked at his website once before, and since he came recommended to me by the my appointed counsel (AC), I called him. From the first time I contacted him leading up to the case, I felt that he was frank and gruff with me about what to expect from the government and what was important to focus on to win this case. He was able to sift through the array of evidence and hearsay I had for and against me and determine the best course of action better then I or the AC ever could have. Both in the courtroom and in person he is a straight-shooter and he will set you straight and help align you with the reality of your situation, which I needed and appreciated. He is speaking from his experience dealing with the government going after you. I felt he was great at exploiting holes in the prosecutions arguments and unpreparedness in certain areas, as well as scientifically building a narrative into the minds of the board members to anticipate and control their train of thought within the limits of rational and equitable decision making. The disposition was no basis for discharge, I was retained, and have a clean slate. While your mileage may vary depending on the specifics of your case, I can wholeheartedly say that Rich is the most competent lawyer I have ever worked with, and that is saying a lot because I've interacted with 7 lawyers over my life, spoken to and have friendships with others, AND i thought that the AC was the best I had worked with, before I met Mr. Stevens! I believe this gentleman is a cut above even the top tier of lawyers out there both military and civilian. Whatever the burden of proof allows for, you will get with Rich, whatever speculation the jury or judge may have when they have to decide your case, will become as objective a decision as possible. He will SELL and paint as clear and favorable of a narrative/picture as the evidence allows for, to influence the decision makers to generate as much clemency or as favorable a decision possible. He's easy to get a hold of and always responds within 24 hours. He won't take a heavy case load so he can give each case enough attention.

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!

"I am a military member who was falsely accused of sexual assault by an acquaintance who had been drinking and claims she was too drunk to consent. I faced a general court-martial trial accusing me of sexual assault, and the government had a prosecution team that included a senior sex crimes prosecut...or. Initially, I was represented only by my military attorney who seemed to rarely have time for me or the questions I had. So, I released that military counsel and hired Richard Stevens. From the outset, Mr. Stevens became very involved in preparing my case for trial, to include successfully requesting an important expert witness, identifying and interviewing witnesses, and filing motions. He always answered my questions, provided timely advice, and never seemed too busy to take my calls or talk to me about the case. Mr. Stevens traveled to my base to represent me at the motion hearing, in which he had the opportunity to question the complainant under oath. It seemed that she didn't handle the questioning well. Mr. Stevens handled all of the witness questioning and arguments during the hearing, and it was clear how well prepared he was, how well he knew military law, and his performance was great. Soon after the motion hearing, the government agreed to drop the court-martial and handle the case through administrative action instead. This allowed me to avoid a public felony-level criminal trial, and - knowing the environment in the military right now - the possibility of a federal criminal conviction, sex offender registration, and a sentence that could have included a lengthy prison sentence and dishonorable discharge...all despite my innocence. If you face a serious military case, I would highly recommend Mr. Stevens. He truly knows his way around a military case and courtroom!"

I am a military officer who was falsely accused of sexual assault by an acquaintance who had been drinking and claims not to remember what happened that night. I faced a general court-martial trial in which the government had three prosecutors, including a senior sex crimes prosecutor. I was represen...ted and defended by Richard Stevens in this case. Prior to trial, Mr. Stevens represented me during my Article 32 hearing, which included cross-examination of witnesses and presenting evidence and arguments. The recommendation of the Investigating Officer was that my case should be dropped. Despite that, the case against me was not dropped by the government. Mr. Stevens then represented me in two different motion hearings, in which many legal issues were litigated and we were able to compel key evidence that assisted in the defense of my case. My case then proceeded to trial. Mr. Stevens within the first few minutes showed me exactly why I hired him. He was aggressive, argumentative and controlled the court room that didn't believe was possible. His closing argument was better than I could have ever imagined. Ultimately, I was found not guilty of all charges. There is no doubt in my mind, Richard Stevens should be the first attorney anyone consults when found facing court martial action. His attention to detail, is impeccable and he is widely respected among the community. I have already recommended him to friends in similar situations and there's no one better that can represent you.

I was a retirement eligible senior NCO who was falsely accused of rape and sexual assault and was facing a general court-martial trial. A senior sex crimes prosecutor was on the case against me. I was represented and defended by Richard Stevens in this case. Mr. Stevens was amazing! Ultimately, the ...case against me was dropped and I was able to retire honorably after decades of military service. I would highly recommend Mr Stevens as the best there is to offer when it comes to Defending on the UCMJ and Sexual Assault. Rich was always available to answer any question I had, he gave sound advice and had multiple strategies for defending me, he did interviews, he new my case inside and out. Through his knowledge of the case and the UCMJ he filed numerous legal documents and motions which resulted in my case being dismissed. If you need the best, Rich is your guy.