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Learn Your Lawyer · Air Force · Defense and Trial Counsel

Felix R. Rodriguez Cartagena

Counsel of record in 17 courts-martial in the Military Trial Results data
(10 as defense counsel, 7 as trial counsel)
Mar 2017 to Jun 2021

17Cases
10As defense counsel
7As trial counsel
11Contested (not guilty or mixed plea)

As Defense Counsel (Defending)

Average Contests Per Year: 5.4

10Cases
7Contested
57%Acquitted, contested cases (4 of 7)
—Partial acquittal, contested cases (none)

Pleas When Defending

  • Guilty3 (30%)
  • Not Guilty7 (70%)

Who Decided the Case

  • Judge Alone3 (30%)
  • Enlisted Panel5 (50%)
  • Officer Panel2 (20%)

Contested Panel Cases: 7 of 7

  • Enlisted Panel5 of 7
  • Officer Panel2 of 7

Findings When Defending, All Cases

  • Convicted6 (60%)
  • Acquitted4 (40%)

Contested Findings (Defending)

Decided ByCasesConvictedPartialAcquitted
Enlisted Panel5203
Officer Panel2101

Sentences When Defending

Enlisted (6 Convictions)

  • BCD4 of 6
  • No Punitive Discharge2 of 6

No Punitive Discharge

2 of 6 Enlisted Convictions

  • No punitive discharge2 of 6
67%Punitive discharge, enlisted (4 of 6)
83%Confinement (5 of 6 convictions)
4 moMedian confinement
1.2 yrsLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Defending

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances2120
Art. 128 Assault2020
Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault1110
Art. 129 Burglary; unlawful entry1110
Charges not listed in the record4404

As Trial Counsel (Prosecuting)

Average Contests Per Year: 1.7

7Cases
4Contested
75%Acquitted, contested cases (3 of 4)
25%Partial acquittal, contested cases (1 of 4)

Pleas When Prosecuting

  • Not Guilty3 (43%)
  • Not Reported4 (57%)

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 Prosecuting, All Cases

  • Convicted3 (43%)
  • Partial Acquittal1 (14%)
  • Acquitted3 (43%)

Contested Findings (Prosecuting)

Decided ByCasesConvictedPartialAcquitted
Judge Alone1001
Enlisted Panel1001
Officer Panel2011

Sentences When Prosecuting

Enlisted (3 Convictions)

  • BCD1 of 3
  • DD1 of 3
  • No Punitive Discharge1 of 3

Officers and Warrant Officers (1 Conviction)

  • Dismissal1 of 1

No Punitive Discharge

1 of 3 Enlisted Convictions

  • No punitive discharge1 of 3

Member Retained: 0 of 1 Officer Conviction

  • No dismissal0 of 1
67%Punitive discharge, enlisted (2 of 3)
100%Confinement (4 of 4 convictions)
1.7 yrsMedian confinement
4.3 yrsLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Prosecuting

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 128 Assault2020
Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances1010
Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault1110
Art. 133 Conduct unbecoming an officer1110
Art. 134 General article1010
Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation1110
Charges not listed in the record3303

Where

  • Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona 8
  • JB Andrews, Maryland 5
  • Hill AFB, Utah 2
  • Edwards AFB, California 2

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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