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Learn Your Lawyer · Air Force · Defense and Trial Counsel

Daniel C. Adams

Counsel of record in 27 courts-martial in the Military Trial Results data
(7 as defense counsel, 20 as trial counsel)
Jul 2016 to Jun 2023

27Cases
7As defense counsel
20As trial counsel
16Contested (not guilty or mixed plea)

As Defense Counsel (Defending)

Average Contests Per Year: 3.5

7Cases
4Contested
75%Acquitted, contested cases (3 of 4)
—Partial acquittal, contested cases (none)

Pleas When Defending

  • Guilty2 (29%)
  • Not Guilty4 (57%)
  • Not Reported1 (14%)

Who Decided the Case

  • Judge Alone4 (57%)
  • Enlisted Panel1 (14%)
  • Officer Panel2 (29%)

Contested Panel Cases: 3 of 4

  • Enlisted Panel1 of 4
  • Officer Panel2 of 4

Findings When Defending, All Cases

  • Convicted4 (57%)
  • Acquitted3 (43%)

Contested Findings (Defending)

Decided ByCasesConvictedPartialAcquitted
Judge Alone1100
Enlisted Panel1001
Officer Panel2002

Sentences When Defending

Enlisted (4 Convictions)

  • DD1 of 4
  • No Punitive Discharge3 of 4

No Punitive Discharge

3 of 4 Enlisted Convictions

  • No punitive discharge3 of 4
25%Punitive discharge, enlisted (1 of 4)
100%Confinement (4 of 4 convictions)
7 moMedian confinement
3.8 yrsLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Defending

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault2120
Art. 128 Assault2020
Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances1010
Charges not listed in the record3303

As Trial Counsel (Prosecuting)

Average Contests Per Year: 1.7

20Cases
12Contested
50%Acquitted, contested cases (6 of 12)
17%Partial acquittal, contested cases (2 of 12)

Pleas When Prosecuting

  • Guilty3 (15%)
  • Not Guilty11 (55%)
  • Not Reported6 (30%)

Who Decided the Case

  • Judge Alone10 (50%)
  • Enlisted Panel6 (30%)
  • Officer Panel4 (20%)

Contested Panel Cases: 10 of 12

  • Enlisted Panel6 of 12
  • Officer Panel4 of 12

Findings When Prosecuting, All Cases

  • Convicted12 (60%)
  • Partial Acquittal2 (10%)
  • Acquitted6 (30%)

Contested Findings (Prosecuting)

Decided ByCasesConvictedPartialAcquitted
Judge Alone2011
Enlisted Panel6204
Officer Panel4211

Sentences When Prosecuting

Enlisted (11 Convictions)

  • BCD4 of 11
  • DD3 of 11
  • No Punitive Discharge4 of 11

Officers and Warrant Officers (3 Convictions)

  • Dismissal1 of 3
  • No Dismissal2 of 3

No Punitive Discharge

4 of 11 Enlisted Convictions

  • No punitive discharge4 of 11

Member Retained: 2 of 3 Officer Convictions

  • No dismissal2 of 3
64%Punitive discharge, enlisted (7 of 11)
71%Confinement (10 of 14 convictions)
5 moMedian confinement
4.9 yrsLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Prosecuting

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 134 General article5450
Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances3030
Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation3231
Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault2221
Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child2020
Art. 121 Larceny1010
Art. 128 Assault1010
Art. 128b Domestic violence1010
Charges not listed in the record6606

Opposing Counsel, Most Cases

Where

  • Ramstein AB, Germany 9
  • Offutt AFB, Nebraska 2
  • Hurlburt Field, Florida 2
  • Eglin AFB, Florida 2
  • Tyndall AFB, Florida 2
  • JB Langley-Eustis, Virginia 2
  • JB Anacostia-Bolling, Washington DC 1
  • Dyess AFB, Texas 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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