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Learn Your Lawyer · Air Force · Defense and Trial Counsel

Adam P. Zenger

Counsel of record in 21 courts-martial in the Military Trial Results data
(7 as defense counsel, 14 as trial counsel)
Apr 2019 to May 2023

21Cases
7As defense counsel
14As trial counsel
12Contested (not guilty or mixed plea)

As Defense Counsel (Defending)

Average Contests Per Year: 1.5

7Cases
6Contested
33%Acquitted, contested cases (2 of 6)
33%Partial acquittal, contested cases (2 of 6)

Pleas When Defending

  • Guilty1 (14%)
  • Not Guilty6 (86%)

Who Decided the Case

  • Judge Alone3 (43%)
  • Enlisted Panel2 (29%)
  • Officer Panel2 (29%)

Contested Panel Cases: 4 of 6

  • Enlisted Panel2 of 6
  • Officer Panel2 of 6

Findings When Defending, All Cases

  • Convicted3 (43%)
  • Partial Acquittal2 (29%)
  • Acquitted2 (29%)

Contested Findings (Defending)

Decided ByCasesConvictedPartialAcquitted
Judge Alone2101
Enlisted Panel2011
Officer Panel2110

Sentences When Defending

Enlisted (3 Convictions)

  • BCD1 of 3
  • No Punitive Discharge2 of 3

Officers and Warrant Officers (2 Convictions)

  • Dismissal1 of 2
  • No Dismissal1 of 2

No Punitive Discharge

2 of 3 Enlisted Convictions

  • No punitive discharge2 of 3

Member Retained: 1 of 2 Officer Convictions

  • No dismissal1 of 2
33%Punitive discharge, enlisted (1 of 3)
60%Confinement (3 of 5 convictions)
8 moMedian confinement
2.2 yrsLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Defending

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 113 Drunken or reckless operation of vehicle2120
Art. 128 Assault2220
Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation2120
Art. 107 False official statements1110
Art. 112 Drunkenness and other incapacitation1010
Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances1110
Art. 115 Communicating threats1110
Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault1110
Art. 133 Conduct unbecoming an officer1111
Art. 134 General article1110
Charges not listed in the record2202

As Trial Counsel (Prosecuting)

Average Contests Per Year: 3.2

14Cases
6Contested
33%Acquitted, contested cases (2 of 6)
33%Partial acquittal, contested cases (2 of 6)

Pleas When Prosecuting

  • Guilty5 (36%)
  • Not Guilty6 (43%)
  • Not Reported3 (21%)

Who Decided the Case

  • Judge Alone9 (64%)
  • Enlisted Panel3 (21%)
  • Officer Panel2 (14%)

Contested Panel Cases: 5 of 6

  • Enlisted Panel3 of 6
  • Officer Panel2 of 6

Findings When Prosecuting, All Cases

  • Convicted10 (71%)
  • Partial Acquittal2 (14%)
  • Acquitted2 (14%)

Contested Findings (Prosecuting)

Decided ByCasesConvictedPartialAcquitted
Judge Alone1010
Enlisted Panel3102
Officer Panel2110

Sentences When Prosecuting

Enlisted (12 Convictions)

  • BCD4 of 12
  • DD1 of 12
  • No Punitive Discharge7 of 12

No Punitive Discharge

7 of 12 Enlisted Convictions

  • No punitive discharge7 of 12
42%Punitive discharge, enlisted (5 of 12)
83%Confinement (10 of 12 convictions)
3 moMedian confinement
2.5 yrsLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Prosecuting

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances9291
Art. 86 AWOL3030
Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation3230
Art. 107 False official statements2020
Art. 112 Drunkenness and other incapacitation1110
Art. 114 Endangerment offenses1110
Art. 121a Fraudulent use of credit cards, debit cards1110
Art. 128 Assault1110
Art. 134 General article1110
Art. 83 Malingering1010
Charges not listed in the record2202

Where

  • Dyess AFB, Texas 14
  • JB Lewis-McChord, Washington 4
  • Malmstrom AFB, Montana 2
  • Fairchild AFB, Washington 1

More Air Force Lawyers

Know Your Judge

Counsel of record means this lawyer is listed as defense counsel or trial counsel in the public record of the case. Most cases list more than one lawyer on each side, and the records do not say who led or who argued, so the numbers describe cases this lawyer was counsel on, not individual wins or losses. Pages cover military counsel only; civilian counsel appear in lists by name. Percentages are shown for every count, however small, so check the number of cases behind each one. The Army records say whether there was a plea agreement, not what it said; Air Force records do not report plea agreements, and many Air Force records from 2016 to 2020 do not list the plea. In the article tables one case counts under each article charged, and Air Force records rarely list the charges in cases that ended in acquittal (those show as Charges not listed in the record). Member Retained means the sentence did not include a punitive discharge; it does not rule out a later administrative separation. Mixed Plea* means the record lists a guilty plea but the case ended in a partial acquittal, so at least one charge was contested (a mixed plea, or a guilty plea to a lesser offense). Contested cases are those with a not guilty or mixed plea, plus any case that ended in an acquittal or partial acquittal even when the record does not list the plea.

Source: public records of trial published by each service under Article 140a, UCMJ, as collected for the Military Trial Results page (data updated October 29, 2026). Counts reflect only the cases in this data and may be incomplete. Names are shown as published in the source records.

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