Cody Elijah Harnish

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.

Hire him immediately. During a super stressful time he is a beacon in the storm. His superior knowledge of the UCMJ/15-6 processes will provide you with immediate confidence and reduce stress during this time. Mr. Harnish is extremely accessible and proactive in your defense. His hard work and guid...ance brought my case to it's most optimal outcome.

Mr. Harnish is an excellent attorney that is experienced in military law and its system. His vast knowledge and experience of the military judicial system were instrumental in my case. He advocates for his clients and kept me informed every step of the way. I had the best possible outcome in my case ...and I know it was in large part to his expertise. Thank you Mr. Harnish!