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Learn Your Lawyer · Army · Defense and Trial Counsel

Elizabeth Paillere

Counsel of record in 26 courts-martial in the Military Trial Results data
(16 as defense counsel, 10 as trial counsel)
Sep 2022 to Sep 2026

26Cases
16As defense counsel
10As trial counsel
4Contested (not guilty or mixed plea)

As Defense Counsel (Defending)

Average Contests Per Year: 1.2

16Cases
3Contested
33%Acquitted, contested cases (1 of 3)
67%Partial acquittal, contested cases (2 of 3)

Pleas When Defending

  • Guilty13 (81%)
  • Not Guilty3 (19%)

Plea Agreements

  • Plea agreement12 (75%)
  • No plea agreement3 (19%)
  • Not reported1 (6%)

Who Decided the Case

  • Judge Alone14 (88%)
  • Officer Panel2 (12%)

Contested Panel Cases: 2 of 3

  • Enlisted Panel0 of 3
  • Officer Panel2 of 3

Findings When Defending, All Cases

  • Convicted13 (81%)
  • Partial Acquittal2 (12%)
  • Acquitted1 (6%)

Contested Findings (Defending)

Decided ByCasesConvictedPartialAcquitted
Judge Alone1001
Officer Panel2020

Sentences When Defending

Enlisted (11 Convictions)

  • BCD6 of 11
  • DD2 of 11
  • No Punitive Discharge3 of 11

Officers and Warrant Officers (4 Convictions)

  • Dismissal1 of 4
  • No Dismissal3 of 4

No Punitive Discharge

3 of 11 Enlisted Convictions

  • Plea agreement3 of 3
  • No plea agreement0 of 3

Member Retained: 3 of 4 Officer Convictions

  • Plea agreement2 of 3
  • No plea agreement1 of 3
73%Punitive discharge, enlisted (8 of 11)
80%Confinement (12 of 15 convictions)
3 moMedian confinement
lifeLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Defending

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 128 Assault5050
Art. 128b Domestic violence3222
Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation3030
Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child2111
Art. 134 General article2020
Art. 104a Fraudulent enlistment1010
Art. 109 Property other than military; waste, spoilage, destruction1010
Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances1010
Art. 114 Endangerment offenses1101
Art. 115 Communicating threats1010

As Trial Counsel (Prosecuting)

Average Contests Per Year: 1

10Cases
1Contested
0%Acquitted, contested cases (0 of 1)
100%Partial acquittal, contested cases (1 of 1)

Pleas When Prosecuting

  • Guilty9 (90%)
  • Not Guilty1 (10%)

Plea Agreements

  • Plea agreement9 (90%)
  • No plea agreement1 (10%)

Who Decided the Case

  • Judge Alone10 (100%)

Contested Panel Cases: 0 of 1

  • Enlisted Panel0 of 1
  • Officer Panel0 of 1

Findings When Prosecuting, All Cases

  • Convicted9 (90%)
  • Partial Acquittal1 (10%)

Contested Findings (Prosecuting)

Decided ByCasesConvictedPartialAcquitted
Judge Alone1010

Sentences When Prosecuting

Enlisted (9 Convictions)

  • BCD7 of 9
  • DD1 of 9
  • No Punitive Discharge1 of 9

Officers and Warrant Officers (1 Conviction)

  • Dismissal1 of 1

No Punitive Discharge

1 of 9 Enlisted Convictions

  • Plea agreement1 of 1
  • No plea agreement0 of 1

Member Retained: 0 of 1 Officer Conviction

  • No dismissal0 of 1
89%Punitive discharge, enlisted (8 of 9)
80%Confinement (8 of 10 convictions)
12 moMedian confinement
6.0 yrsLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Prosecuting

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 128 Assault3030
Art. 128b Domestic violence3030
Art. 134 General article2020
Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault1010
Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child1111
Art. 129 Burglary; unlawful entry1010
Art. 90 Willfully disobeying superior officer1010

Opposing Counsel, Most Cases

Where

  • Fort Campbell 26

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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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