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Learn Your Lawyer · Air Force · Defense and Trial Counsel

Daniel G. Saunders

Counsel of record in 15 courts-martial in the Military Trial Results data
(13 as defense counsel, 2 as trial counsel)
Apr 2016 to Jul 2020

15Cases
13As defense counsel
2As trial counsel
9Contested (not guilty or mixed plea)

As Defense Counsel (Defending)

Average Contests Per Year: 3.7

13Cases
7Contested
43%Acquitted, contested cases (3 of 7)
14%Partial acquittal, contested cases (1 of 7)

Pleas When Defending

  • Guilty2 (15%)
  • Not Guilty7 (54%)
  • Not Reported4 (31%)

Who Decided the Case

  • Judge Alone6 (46%)
  • Enlisted Panel4 (31%)
  • Officer Panel3 (23%)

Contested Panel Cases: 7 of 7

  • Enlisted Panel4 of 7
  • Officer Panel3 of 7

Findings When Defending, All Cases

  • Convicted9 (69%)
  • Partial Acquittal1 (8%)
  • Acquitted3 (23%)

Contested Findings (Defending)

Decided ByCasesConvictedPartialAcquitted
Enlisted Panel4013
Officer Panel3300

Sentences When Defending

Enlisted (8 Convictions)

  • BCD4 of 8
  • No Punitive Discharge2 of 8
  • Dismissal2 of 8

Officers and Warrant Officers (2 Convictions)

  • No Dismissal2 of 2

No Punitive Discharge

2 of 8 Enlisted Convictions

  • No punitive discharge2 of 8

Member Retained: 2 of 2 Officer Convictions

  • No dismissal2 of 2
50%Punitive discharge, enlisted (4 of 8)
100%Confinement (10 of 10 convictions)
6 moMedian confinement
3.0 yrsLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Defending

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances5250
Art. 128 Assault3230
Art. 107 False official statements2020
Art. 134 General article2020
Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation2120
Art. 111 (former: Drunken or reckless driving)1010
Charges not listed in the record3303

As Trial Counsel (Prosecuting)

Average Contests Per Year: 1.1

2Cases
2Contested
50%Acquitted, contested cases (1 of 2)
50%Partial acquittal, contested cases (1 of 2)

Pleas When Prosecuting

  • Not Guilty1 (50%)
  • Not Reported1 (50%)

Who Decided the Case

  • Judge Alone1 (50%)
  • Officer Panel1 (50%)

Contested Panel Cases: 1 of 2

  • Enlisted Panel0 of 2
  • Officer Panel1 of 2

Findings When Prosecuting, All Cases

  • Partial Acquittal1 (50%)
  • Acquitted1 (50%)

Contested Findings (Prosecuting)

Decided ByCasesConvictedPartialAcquitted
Judge Alone1010
Officer Panel1001

Sentences When Prosecuting

Enlisted (1 Conviction)

  • BCD1 of 1

No Punitive Discharge

0 of 1 Enlisted Conviction

  • No punitive discharge0 of 1
100%Punitive discharge, enlisted (1 of 1)
100%Confinement (1 of 1 convictions)
4 moMedian confinement
4 moLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Prosecuting

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 111 (former: Drunken or reckless driving)1101
Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances1101
Art. 121 Larceny1110
Art. 130 (former: Housebreaking)1110
Charges not listed in the record1101

Opposing Counsel, Most Cases

Where

  • USAF Academy, Colorado 6
  • FE Warren AFB, Wyoming 2
  • Peterson SFB, Colorado 2
  • Minot AFB, North Dakota 1
  • JB Lewis-McChord, Washington 1
  • Schriever SFB, Colorado 1
  • Buckley SFB, Colorado 1
  • Whiteman AFB, Missouri 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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