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Learn Your Lawyer · Air Force · Defense and Trial Counsel

Nathan M. Wiebenga

Counsel of record in 28 courts-martial in the Military Trial Results data
(15 as defense counsel, 13 as trial counsel)
Oct 2019 to May 2025

28Cases
15As defense counsel
13As trial counsel
14Contested (not guilty or mixed plea)

As Defense Counsel (Defending)

Average Contests Per Year: 4.7

15Cases
8Contested
25%Acquitted, contested cases (2 of 8)
12%Partial acquittal, contested cases (1 of 8)

Pleas When Defending

  • Guilty7 (47%)
  • Not Guilty8 (53%)

Who Decided the Case

  • Judge Alone8 (53%)
  • Enlisted Panel6 (40%)
  • Officer Panel1 (7%)

Contested Panel Cases: 7 of 8

  • Enlisted Panel6 of 8
  • Officer Panel1 of 8

Findings When Defending, All Cases

  • Convicted12 (80%)
  • Partial Acquittal1 (7%)
  • Acquitted2 (13%)

Contested Findings (Defending)

Decided ByCasesConvictedPartialAcquitted
Judge Alone1100
Enlisted Panel6312
Officer Panel1100

Sentences When Defending

Enlisted (13 Convictions)

  • BCD1 of 13
  • DD6 of 13
  • No Punitive Discharge6 of 13

No Punitive Discharge

6 of 13 Enlisted Convictions

  • No punitive discharge6 of 13
54%Punitive discharge, enlisted (7 of 13)
92%Confinement (12 of 13 convictions)
4 moMedian confinement
5.0 yrsLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Defending

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 128 Assault5341
Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault3330
Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances2120
Art. 128b Domestic violence2020
Art. 134 General article2020
Art. 113 Drunken or reckless operation of vehicle1110
Art. 115 Communicating threats1010
Art. 121 Larceny1010
Art. 131b Obstructing justice1010
Charges not listed in the record2202

As Trial Counsel (Prosecuting)

Average Contests Per Year: 1.1

13Cases
6Contested
83%Acquitted, contested cases (5 of 6)
—Partial acquittal, contested cases (none)

Pleas When Prosecuting

  • Guilty6 (46%)
  • Not Guilty6 (46%)
  • Not Reported1 (8%)

Who Decided the Case

  • Judge Alone7 (54%)
  • Enlisted Panel4 (31%)
  • Officer Panel2 (15%)

Contested Panel Cases: 6 of 6

  • Enlisted Panel4 of 6
  • Officer Panel2 of 6

Findings When Prosecuting, All Cases

  • Convicted8 (62%)
  • Acquitted5 (38%)

Contested Findings (Prosecuting)

Decided ByCasesConvictedPartialAcquitted
Enlisted Panel4004
Officer Panel2101

Sentences When Prosecuting

Enlisted (8 Convictions)

  • BCD2 of 8
  • DD4 of 8
  • No Punitive Discharge1 of 8
  • Dismissal1 of 8

No Punitive Discharge

1 of 8 Enlisted Convictions

  • No punitive discharge1 of 8
75%Punitive discharge, enlisted (6 of 8)
88%Confinement (7 of 8 convictions)
1.2 yrsMedian confinement
3.0 yrsLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Prosecuting

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault4322
Art. 134 General article4231
Art. 128b Domestic violence2020
Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances1010
Art. 114 Endangerment offenses1010
Art. 115 Communicating threats1010
Art. 121 Larceny1010
Art. 128 Assault1010
Art. 131b Obstructing justice1010
Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation1010
Charges not listed in the record3303

Opposing Counsel, Most Cases

Where

  • Hill AFB, Utah 10
  • Sheppard AFB, Texas 4
  • Luke AFB, Arizona 3
  • Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona 2
  • Beale AFB, California 2
  • Nellis AFB, Nevada 1
  • Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota 1
  • Moody AFB, Georgia 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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