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Learn Your Lawyer · Air Force · Defense and Trial Counsel

Elizabeth S. Bowman

Counsel of record in 17 courts-martial in the Military Trial Results data
(8 as defense counsel, 9 as trial counsel)
Jan 2019 to Sep 2022

17Cases
8As defense counsel
9As trial counsel
9Contested (not guilty or mixed plea)

As Defense Counsel (Defending)

Average Contests Per Year: 2.3

8Cases
5Contested
20%Acquitted, contested cases (1 of 5)
40%Partial acquittal, contested cases (2 of 5)

Pleas When Defending

  • Guilty3 (38%)
  • Not Guilty5 (62%)

Who Decided the Case

  • Judge Alone5 (62%)
  • Enlisted Panel2 (25%)
  • Officer Panel1 (12%)

Contested Panel Cases: 3 of 5

  • Enlisted Panel2 of 5
  • Officer Panel1 of 5

Findings When Defending, All Cases

  • Convicted5 (62%)
  • Partial Acquittal2 (25%)
  • Acquitted1 (12%)

Contested Findings (Defending)

Decided ByCasesConvictedPartialAcquitted
Judge Alone2110
Enlisted Panel2011
Officer Panel1100

Sentences When Defending

Enlisted (6 Convictions)

  • BCD3 of 6
  • DD1 of 6
  • No Punitive Discharge2 of 6

Officers and Warrant Officers (1 Conviction)

  • Dismissal1 of 1

No Punitive Discharge

2 of 6 Enlisted Convictions

  • No punitive discharge2 of 6

Member Retained: 0 of 1 Officer Conviction

  • No dismissal0 of 1
67%Punitive discharge, enlisted (4 of 6)
86%Confinement (6 of 7 convictions)
4 moMedian confinement
1.2 yrsLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Defending

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances3230
Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child1111
Art. 120c Other sexual misconduct1010
Art. 128 Assault1110
Art. 134 General article1010
Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation1111
Charges not listed in the record1101

As Trial Counsel (Prosecuting)

Average Contests Per Year: 3.6

9Cases
4Contested
50%Acquitted, contested cases (2 of 4)
—Partial acquittal, contested cases (none)

Pleas When Prosecuting

  • Not Guilty4 (44%)
  • Not Reported5 (56%)

Who Decided the Case

  • Judge Alone5 (56%)
  • Enlisted Panel2 (22%)
  • Officer Panel2 (22%)

Contested Panel Cases: 4 of 4

  • Enlisted Panel2 of 4
  • Officer Panel2 of 4

Findings When Prosecuting, All Cases

  • Convicted7 (78%)
  • Acquitted2 (22%)

Contested Findings (Prosecuting)

Decided ByCasesConvictedPartialAcquitted
Enlisted Panel2002
Officer Panel2200

Sentences When Prosecuting

Enlisted (7 Convictions)

  • BCD2 of 7
  • DD2 of 7
  • No Punitive Discharge3 of 7

No Punitive Discharge

3 of 7 Enlisted Convictions

  • No punitive discharge3 of 7
57%Punitive discharge, enlisted (4 of 7)
100%Confinement (7 of 7 convictions)
3 moMedian confinement
4.4 yrsLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Prosecuting

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances5250
Art. 134 General article3030
Art. 80 Attempts2120
Art. 86 AWOL1010
Art. 87b Offenses against correctional custody1010
Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation1010
Charges not listed in the record2202

Opposing Counsel, Most Cases

Where

  • Eielson AFB, Alaska 11
  • Fairchild AFB, Washington 2
  • Nellis AFB, Nevada 1
  • Cannon AFB, New Mexico 1
  • Malmstrom AFB, Montana 1
  • JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii 1

More Air Force Lawyers

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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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