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Learn Your Lawyer · Air Force · Defense and Trial Counsel

James A. Klinedinst

Counsel of record in 16 courts-martial in the Military Trial Results data
(5 as defense counsel, 11 as trial counsel)
Jan 2016 to Apr 2022

16Cases
5As defense counsel
11As trial counsel
8Contested (not guilty or mixed plea)

As Defense Counsel (Defending)

Average Contests Per Year: 1.4

5Cases
2Contested
0%Acquitted, contested cases (0 of 2)
50%Partial acquittal, contested cases (1 of 2)

Pleas When Defending

  • Not Guilty2 (40%)
  • Not Reported3 (60%)

Who Decided the Case

  • Judge Alone4 (80%)
  • Officer Panel1 (20%)

Contested Panel Cases: 1 of 2

  • Enlisted Panel0 of 2
  • Officer Panel1 of 2

Findings When Defending, All Cases

  • Convicted4 (80%)
  • Partial Acquittal1 (20%)

Contested Findings (Defending)

Decided ByCasesConvictedPartialAcquitted
Judge Alone1100
Officer Panel1010

Sentences When Defending

Enlisted (5 Convictions)

  • BCD2 of 5
  • No Punitive Discharge3 of 5

No Punitive Discharge

3 of 5 Enlisted Convictions

  • No punitive discharge3 of 5
40%Punitive discharge, enlisted (2 of 5)
60%Confinement (3 of 5 convictions)
4 moMedian confinement
4 moLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Defending

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 134 General article3130
Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances2020
Art. 107 False official statements1010
Art. 115 Communicating threats1010
Art. 121 Larceny1110
Art. 128 Assault1010
Art. 128b Domestic violence1110
Art. 131b Obstructing justice1110
Art. 86 AWOL1010
Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation1010

As Trial Counsel (Prosecuting)

Average Contests Per Year: 1

11Cases
6Contested
33%Acquitted, contested cases (2 of 6)
—Partial acquittal, contested cases (none)

Pleas When Prosecuting

  • Guilty2 (18%)
  • Not Guilty6 (55%)
  • Not Reported3 (27%)

Who Decided the Case

  • Judge Alone6 (55%)
  • Officer Panel5 (45%)

Contested Panel Cases: 5 of 6

  • Enlisted Panel0 of 6
  • Officer Panel5 of 6

Findings When Prosecuting, All Cases

  • Convicted9 (82%)
  • Acquitted2 (18%)

Contested Findings (Prosecuting)

Decided ByCasesConvictedPartialAcquitted
Judge Alone1100
Officer Panel5302

Sentences When Prosecuting

Enlisted (8 Convictions)

  • BCD4 of 8
  • DD2 of 8
  • No Punitive Discharge2 of 8

Officers and Warrant Officers (1 Conviction)

  • Dismissal1 of 1

No Punitive Discharge

2 of 8 Enlisted Convictions

  • No punitive discharge2 of 8

Member Retained: 0 of 1 Officer Conviction

  • No dismissal0 of 1
75%Punitive discharge, enlisted (6 of 8)
78%Confinement (7 of 9 convictions)
12 moMedian confinement
5.6 yrsLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Prosecuting

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 134 General article3030
Art. 121 Larceny2120
Art. 107 False official statements1010
Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances1110
Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault1110
Art. 120c Other sexual misconduct1010
Art. 121a Fraudulent use of credit cards, debit cards1110
Art. 133 Conduct unbecoming an officer1110
Art. 83 Malingering1110
Art. 89 Disrespect toward superior officer; assault of superior officer1110
Charges not listed in the record2202

Opposing Counsel, Most Cases

Where

  • Hill AFB, Utah 5
  • JB Langley-Eustis, Virginia 4
  • JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii 3
  • Kadena AB, Japan 2
  • Andersen AFB, Guam 1
  • Misawa AB, Japan 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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