Military members accused of misconduct in civilian communities find themselves facing consequences from two different jurisdictions. You have to face the consequences of the civilian court, but that is separate and distinct from any action that the military takes against you. Because they are different jurisdictions, there is no double jeopardy protection against facing action from both civilian and military authorities. Unfortunately, what civilian court systems never understand is that in the military, everything is an emergency. The wheels of justice move slowly in the civilian court system, and military authorities expect swift resolution and action. Your appointed defense counsel in the military likely has no civilian experience, and cannot represent you in a civilian court. You will be forced to find a civilian lawyer to handle your off base misconduct, and your military defense counsel will try to handle the administrative consequences with the military. It is not uncommon for the military to act before there is a resolution of your civilian case, which makes it very difficult for you to defend yourself since everything you do and say can be held against you in your civilian case. You could find yourself in a position where you have to choose between your career and your liberty. You will have a distinct advantage if you have a lawyer who can handle both jurisdictions in a comprehensive strategy, you have the opportunity to preserve both your career and your liberty.
