Learn Your Lawyer · Air Force · Defense and Trial Counsel
Matthew V. Leal
Counsel of record in 26 courts-martial in the Military Trial Results data
(18 as defense counsel, 8 as trial counsel)
Jun 2016 to May 2026
As Defense Counsel (Defending)
Average Contests Per Year: 3.3
Pleas When Defending
Who Decided the Case
Contested Panel Cases: 10 of 13
Findings When Defending, All Cases
Contested Findings (Defending)
| Decided By | Cases | Convicted | Partial | Acquitted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Judge Alone | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Enlisted Panel | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Officer Panel | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Sentences When Defending
Enlisted (10 Convictions)
Officers and Warrant Officers (1 Conviction)
No Punitive Discharge
4 of 10 Enlisted Convictions
Member Retained: 0 of 1 Officer Conviction
UCMJ Articles When Defending
| Article | Cases | Contested | Convicted | Acquitted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 128 Assault | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Art. 134 General article | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Art. 115 Communicating threats | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Art. 117a Wrongful broadcast of intimate visual images | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Art. 120c Other sexual misconduct | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Art. 127 Extortion | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Art. 128b Domestic violence | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Art. 131b Obstructing justice | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Charges not listed in the record | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
As Trial Counsel (Prosecuting)
Average Contests Per Year: 0.4
Pleas When Prosecuting
Who Decided the Case
Contested Panel Cases: 3 of 4
Findings When Prosecuting, All Cases
Contested Findings (Prosecuting)
| Decided By | Cases | Convicted | Partial | Acquitted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Judge Alone | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Officer Panel | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Sentences When Prosecuting
Enlisted (8 Convictions)
No Punitive Discharge
3 of 8 Enlisted Convictions
UCMJ Articles When Prosecuting
| Article | Cases | Contested | Convicted | Acquitted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Art. 121 Larceny | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Art. 121b False pretenses to obtain services | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Art. 128 Assault | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Art. 134 General article | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Judges, Most Cases Together
Opposing Counsel, Most Cases
- Julie A. Beyer 4
- Kate E. Lee 4
- Megan L. Fisher 4
- David E. Marsa 2
- David J. Ely 2
- Lauren E. Westover 2
- Thomas J. Olsen 2
- Abbi M. Jankowski 1
Where
- Holloman AFB, New Mexico 7
- RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom 5
- Cannon AFB, New Mexico 2
- FE Warren AFB, Wyoming 2
- Kirtland AFB, New Mexico 2
- Patrick SFB, Florida 1
- Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 1
- Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota 1
Court-Martial Data and Trends
Data from public court-martial records on the installations and UCMJ articles in these cases.
- Holloman AFB, New Mexico: Court-Martial Data and Trends
- Cannon AFB, New Mexico: Court-Martial Data and Trends
- FE Warren AFB, Wyoming: Court-Martial Data and Trends
- Kirtland AFB, New Mexico: Court-Martial Data and Trends
- Article 128 (Assault): Court-Martial Data and Trends
- Article 134 (General Article): Court-Martial Data and Trends
- Article 112a (Wrongful Use, Possession of Controlled Substances): Court-Martial Data and Trends
- Article 120 (Rape and Sexual Assault): Court-Martial Data and Trends
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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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