Richard V Stevens III

I am a military officer who was falsely accused of sexual assault by a civilian acquaintance. 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. Mr. Stevens represented me in this case, and ...I was exonerated at trial. I plead not guilty in front of a military judge and Mr. Stevens handled all aspects of my court-martial trial. In a separate motion hearing, he filed and argued motions to help us present my defense and obtain discovery. Ultimately, he was able to obtain discovery that we used in defense of my case. 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 experts. His questioning of the witnesses was exceptional. Particularly with regard to his questioning of the complaining witness, and exposing her lies and her motives to make false allegations against me, his cross-examination of her was methodical, logical, and well thought out. He was calm and professional at all times, allowing her to trap herself in her own lies versus trying to "bully" her into admitting anything. Finally, Mr. Stevens delivered his closing argument, to wrap up the week-long case, and to show the truth of my innocence. His closing argument tied together the entire case in an easily understood manner that addressed every falsehood and inconsistency in the allegations. After a long investigation and intense trial, I was found not guilty of all allegations I faced. 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. Mr. Stevens is a pleasure to work with. He is very accessible and returns calls and emails in a timely manner. He has a no nonsense manner of interaction and is guaranteed to tell you how it is versus trying to tell you what you want to hear. His fees for his services are reasonable and he is respectful of your finances in regards to booking his travel arrangements. Overall, I highly recommend Mr. Stevens and cannot express enough how valuable his services are to your situation. Do not risk your life, liberty, or career with an inexperienced government attorney. Spend the money and allow Mr. Stevens with his decades of experience to expertly guide you through what will surely be one of the most trying times of your life.

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 military Senior NCO who was falsely accused of sexual assault by a civilian acquaintance. I faced a general court-martial trial. Mr. Stevens represented me in this case, and I was completely exonerated. I plead not guilty in front of a military "jury" consisting of officers and enlisted.... Mr. Stevens handled all aspects of my court-martial trial. In a separate motion hearing, he filed and argued motions to help us present my defense. The written motions were extremely well written and the intent was more than I ever expected. His legal knowledge was superior. Likewise, his motion arguments during the motion hearing were vital to ensure I received a fair trial and ensured all possible evidence would be discovered. When my case went to trial, Mr. Stevens conducted the voir dire, delivered both the opening statement and closing argument, and he questioned all major witnesses, to include cross-examining the complaining witness. Mr. Stevens' opening statement was precise, direct, and to the point. His questioning of the witnesses demonstrated his high level of experience. 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 vital to my defense and left no doubt for the panel of jury members that she was not being truthful. Finally, Mr. Stevens delivered his closing argument, to wrap up the case, to expose the truth of my innocence, and with my future on the line. His closing argument was exactly what the jury needed to hear. He truly explained their responsibilities and was very meticulous in exposing all the evidence and motives to ensure justice prevailed. After a long and contentious trial, I was found not guilty of all allegations I faced - and the verdict came back very quickly. It was obvious the case against me was false, and Mr. Stevens' work on the case was crucial to show this. I was cleared of the allegations and went back to resume my military career. I would highly recommend Richard Stevens.

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.