Cody Elijah Harnish

Mr. Cody took my case when I thought all hope was lost, he stood by me, and his confidence in my case was a beacon of light in a dark tunnel. Your ability to navigate the complexities of the legal system, his strategic thinking, and his passion for justice are truly remarkable. His commitment to my ...case extended beyond the courtroom, as he took the time to understand my concerns, addressed my fears, and offered guidance and support throughout this challenging journey. His professionalism, empathy, and kindness have made a significant difference in my life. Thank you for your exceptional legal expertise, tireless work ethic, strategic thinking, emotional support, unwavering belief in my innocence, ability to turn a seemingly hopeless situation into a triumph. You are an outstanding attorney and an inspiration to your profession. I feel fortunate to have had you by my side throughout this ordeal. Thank you sincerely.

Mr. Harnish took on my case after a last minute request by myself and was able to meet within a day. After speaking with him, I immediately knew this was the right person to represent me. He was confident and his calm demeanor was exactly what I needed to tell him everything. After I retained him,... he immediately went to work and informed my command I was being represented and we started the process of gathering our information. I did my best to go above and beyond because I knew he was going to advocate for me and bring the truth to light. I didn’t know where to start and with Mr. Harnish’s guidance I was able to collect myself and push forward. The whole ordeal was very traumatic and reliving everything for a second time was horrible. This was the first time I was able to have someone listen to me. It was the first time I was able to pick myself up after having my name and my character drug through the mud for so long. I never thought I would be in this position, but now I have regained my confidence due to amazing representation. Mr. Harnish often asked how I was doing and gave me optimistic, but realistic reassurance. He truly cares and is very passionate about the difference he makes in the world. I successfully hired civilian attorneys who got my case ultimately dismissed on the civilian side and with nothing on my record. Afterwards, it was the Marine Corps turn to review the incident and upon speaking with my command’s legal advisor, I felt this was going to require another attorney. My command believed this was a cold cut case and wanted to have an answer to everything within a few days of the investigation. I did some homework, but wanted an attorney that was not in my local area and who obviously was knowledgeable with the UCMJ. I am very fortunate and grateful I found Mr. Harnish because after we submitted our side of the events leading up to and after the incident, my command found there was no misconduct on my part and were not recommending any punishment and/or separation. I still must go through the formal review and administrative process to make sure everything is official, however looking at my command’s recommendation – from a historical standpoint – it is looking very good that I will be ultimately retained. Mr. Harnish worked very fast as we only had 14 days to submit everything, and he did it with a three hour time difference. He often worked late and had meetings with me after my workday ended, which was well past the workday for him. Hands down, I would recommend Mr. Harnish for representation. It is worth it.

I am a 1SG (E8) in the Army. I was investigated from OCT 2022 - SEP 2023 for a crime the Army assumed I did in 2018. In SEP 2023, the Army decided that evidence for the crime did not exist and all legal actions were dropped so there was not a court martial or UCMJ action. My Brigade Commander decided... to recommend me for a GOMOR for the alleged crime as Administrative actions don’t require solid evidence. In OCT 2023, a GOMOR was issued by the LTG not for the alleged crime, but instead for a Recruiter Misconduct that allegedly took place in 2018. Again, zero evidence to support this allegation existed and I honestly felt like they were trying to simply get me for something to justify having me flagged for such a long time with nothing to support it. I consulted with TDS and the Legal office throughout this whole process, but I felt like my best interests were not going to be represented by either as they are understaffed, over worked, and some simply just don’t have enough interest in what they do. Never once did an Army Lawyer meet with me and the JBLM Main office even declined to support me, without explanation, after physically showing up to their office for a few consecutive days. They emailed me saying they couldn’t help me and referred me to the legal office on McChord, which only does telephonic as the time. My telephonic consultation with the McChord legal office lasted only about 5 minutes and the civilian lawyer kept saying “do not try to re-litigate this, just trying to ask the General for leniency in the filing of the GOMOR”. I’ve maintained my innocence in these matters the entire time and knew I had to seek legal help outside of the Military. I contacted Mr. Harnish, a former Army JAG Officer, and looked up reviews for his service. I knew my best chance at showing the Army the truth was by hiring him to represent me. He immediately requested an extension and went over every detail in the investigation. He contacted several entities on post and “dug up” more information surrounding the case and even got evidence that I would’ve never been entitled to otherwise…. All of which pointed to the obvious answer: I was innocent the whole time. As new evidence was provided to him, he took meticulous time and effort to make sure no stone was left unturned and even asked for additional extensions so as not to rush through anything. My rebuttal was 112 pages long, packed with evidence and legal jargon that I honestly would’ve never been able to do with the on post legal help, let alone myself. Mr Harnish presented my case in an amazing fashion and the rebuttal was submitted well ahead of the deadline in NOV 2023. In JAN 2024, the LTG that issued the GOMOR decided to withdrawal and destroy the document, effectively ending the entire ordeal. This would’ve been impossible if not for Mr. Harnish as I know that I would not have been able to construct a rebuttal, nor get the evidence to support it, if not for him. This lawyer is a good man and is worth every penny.

I was acquainted with Mr. Harnish, after being notified by a past friend that CID called and was inquiring about events that took place almost five years ago. The allegations the agents were investigating were false and fabricated, however, I knew the narrative this individual was spinning carried se...vere consequences. After conducting some personal research on what to expect during an investigation involving a violation of article 120, I knew two things; first I had a short amount of time to protect myself from invasive legal techniques, and second, if I had any chance of fighting this accusation, I was going to need to seek private counsel. Over the course of forty-eight hours, I narrowed my search to three firms. I focused my search on those firms that specialized in UCMJ law and had a reputation for superior performance. I called all three however, the main factor that led me to favor Mr. Harnish, was his strategy to fight hard during the investigation phase to steer the outcome outside of a courtroom. He was never intimidated or led me to believe that this case was unwinnable. He listened intently, asked tough questions, and laid out a strategy for his defense. He was extremely proactive, the same day I picked him as my defense, he provided my command, CID and JAG a letter of representation. He also personally contacted all the parties to gather an understanding of the situation and the accusations. Running parallel to his actions, he had his investigator begin a separate investigation into the events that took place. Interviews were conducted along with forensics of my devices to help gather evidence on my behalf. Over the course of seven months, he executed his strategy flawlessly, eventually leading to an outcome of unfounded. I read numerous horror stories of invasive tactics, ostracization, and helplessness. By hiring Cody so early in the process I never experienced the more severe trauma associated with being under investigation. Having him was like having a bodyguard in your corner. Anytime I had to speak to my command he was a text message away. Not one day have I regretted the money spent to have him in my corner. If you’re reading this, please do not gamble with your future. If you have a family, do not gamble with their future. Look up the court martial docket and see the number of individuals facing criminal charges and notice that most of them decided to go with an appointed representation. Invest in yourself, your future, and your reputation. Cody, I am sure you hear this often, but I cannot put into words how thankful I am for everything you did for me. I was facing life-altering possibilities that would have ruined my family, altered the life of my children, and destroyed everything I ever worked for. You stopped this from happening, and for that, I am forever grateful to you.

Lets just say thank God for Google and my family finding this firm. From start to finish this firm is extremely professional and handles everything with great care and concern. Their priority is to fight for your best outcome and do everything they can to make that happen for you. This was a 1 and a... half year investigation that led to a General Court martial. We were fighting for my 11-year career with MEB pending. Initially I started with Mrs. Jocelyn Stewart with the intention of being taken over by Mr. Harnish once he officially onboarded with the firm in November of 2021. Mrs. Stewart gives specific initial instruction and guidance and I would encourage you to do exactly what she says. If you’re located at JBLM this firm knows this AO and knows how these other entities operate to a T. In November of 2021 I began working with Mr. Harnish and from the start I felt like he TRULY understood my experience and was the only one on my side. When I say this man is passionate about fighting for his clients and advocating for them, that is not an understatement. Throughout this process I had several medical circumstances that became apparent and Mr. Harnish told me to focus on my health regardless of what he was needing from me legally. It is very clear that Mr. Harnish is not only highly educated but experienced as well. His resume speaks for itself. But in practice you see this education and experience come through. Mr. Harnish was always several steps ahead in planning, preparing, and processing all possible avenues of this case. The week of the court-marital was absolutely the most uncomfortable feeling I have ever felt. Having to put all my faith and future in the hands of a stranger was more than I could even describe. Mr. Harnish rose to the occasion and surpassed my expectations. He was very poised and calculated in his strategy. The way Mr. Harnish fought for me during my proceedings was phenomenal. Several times throughout the court-martial Mr. Harnish was met with resistance and he never backed down, became intimidated or relented. He only fought harder. There were many moments during the court-martial that I felt very uncertain of how things were going but Mr. Harnish reassured me that everything was ok. Mr. Harnish came in full force and seriously performed at another level. Let’s just say there is a reason people know this firm on JBLM. They know Mr. Harnish’s name. In the end, I received the absolute best possible outcome. It felt like an absolute dream or miracle, but Mr. Harnish did it. He secured it for me. Overall, I cannot thank Mr. Harnish or this firm enough. He gave me my life back and my future as well. My family line will know of these individuals, Mrs. Jocelyn Stewart and Mr. Cody Harnish. If I could give them a 20 out of 10 I would. You can’t put a price on your life and future, but I will say this firm, Mr. Harnish, is ABSOLUTELY worth every single penny. If you’ve gotten to the end of this review and haven’t already scheduled a consultation, then I don’t know what else to tell you because this firm is absolutely above the rest. There is a reason they have 5 out of 5 stars. Like I said people know their name. And I could tell you, I wouldn’t want to have to face them in court. Also, if you are reading this because you are in need of legal representation, I offer you these words of encouragement. Lean on your legal team. This firm knows what they are doing and can handle the heaviness of what you are going through. They eat this stuff for breakfast, where for a regular person this is a whole different world. It will probably be a long road ahead but they will keep you focused and getting through the process. Do what they ask of you and ask questions and share your concerns. You will get through this. They truly are on your side and are vehemently fighting and wanting what’s best for YOU.