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Learn Your Lawyer · Air Force · Defense and Trial Counsel

Matthew L. Tusing

Counsel of record in 18 courts-martial in the Military Trial Results data
(2 as defense counsel, 16 as trial counsel)
Jun 2016 to Jun 2020

18Cases
2As defense counsel
16As trial counsel
14Contested (not guilty or mixed plea)

As Defense Counsel (Defending)

Average Contests Per Year: 1

2Cases
1Contested
100%Acquitted, contested cases (1 of 1)
—Partial acquittal, contested cases (none)

Pleas When Defending

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

Who Decided the Case

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

Contested Panel Cases: 1 of 1

  • Enlisted Panel0 of 1
  • Officer Panel1 of 1

Findings When Defending, All Cases

  • Convicted1 (50%)
  • Acquitted1 (50%)

Contested Findings (Defending)

Decided ByCasesConvictedPartialAcquitted
Officer Panel1001

Sentences When Defending

Enlisted (1 Conviction)

  • No Punitive Discharge1 of 1

No Punitive Discharge

1 of 1 Enlisted Conviction

  • No punitive discharge1 of 1
0%Punitive discharge, enlisted (0 of 1)
100%Confinement (1 of 1 convictions)
4 moMedian confinement
4 moLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Defending

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances1010
Charges not listed in the record1101

As Trial Counsel (Prosecuting)

Average Contests Per Year: 8.3

16Cases
13Contested
54%Acquitted, contested cases (7 of 13)
23%Partial acquittal, contested cases (3 of 13)

Pleas When Prosecuting

  • Not Guilty9 (56%)
  • Not Reported7 (44%)

Who Decided the Case

  • Judge Alone8 (50%)
  • Enlisted Panel5 (31%)
  • Officer Panel3 (19%)

Contested Panel Cases: 8 of 13

  • Enlisted Panel5 of 13
  • Officer Panel3 of 13

Findings When Prosecuting, All Cases

  • Convicted6 (38%)
  • Partial Acquittal3 (19%)
  • Acquitted7 (44%)

Contested Findings (Prosecuting)

Decided ByCasesConvictedPartialAcquitted
Judge Alone5113
Enlisted Panel5203
Officer Panel3021

Sentences When Prosecuting

Enlisted (8 Convictions)

  • BCD2 of 8
  • DD5 of 8
  • No Punitive Discharge1 of 8

Officers and Warrant Officers (1 Conviction)

  • Dismissal1 of 1

No Punitive Discharge

1 of 8 Enlisted Convictions

  • No punitive discharge1 of 8

Member Retained: 0 of 1 Officer Conviction

  • No dismissal0 of 1
88%Punitive discharge, enlisted (7 of 8)
100%Confinement (9 of 9 convictions)
1.5 yrsMedian confinement
9.0 yrsLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Prosecuting

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child3230
Art. 128 Assault3230
Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault2120
Art. 109 Property other than military; waste, spoilage, destruction1101
Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances1101
Art. 120c Other sexual misconduct1110
Art. 121 Larceny1010
Art. 134 General article1110
Art. 80 Attempts1101
Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation1110
Charges not listed in the record7707

Where

  • Ramstein AB, Germany 5
  • RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom 5
  • Spangdahlem AB, Germany 3
  • Offutt AFB, Nebraska 2
  • Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona 1
  • RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom 1
  • Aviano AB, Italy 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. The records also write this name as Mattthew L. Tusing; those cases are counted here.

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