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Learn Your Lawyer · Air Force · Defense and Trial Counsel

Roger M. Powell

Counsel of record in 19 courts-martial in the Military Trial Results data
(6 as defense counsel, 13 as trial counsel)
Oct 2019 to Jun 2026

19Cases
6As defense counsel
13As trial counsel
9Contested (not guilty or mixed plea)

As Defense Counsel (Defending)

Average Contests Per Year: 1.7

6Cases
3Contested
67%Acquitted, contested cases (2 of 3)
33%Partial acquittal, contested cases (1 of 3)

Pleas When Defending

  • Guilty3 (50%)
  • Not Guilty3 (50%)

Who Decided the Case

  • Judge Alone5 (83%)
  • Officer Panel1 (17%)

Contested Panel Cases: 1 of 3

  • Enlisted Panel0 of 3
  • Officer Panel1 of 3

Findings When Defending, All Cases

  • Convicted3 (50%)
  • Partial Acquittal1 (17%)
  • Acquitted2 (33%)

Contested Findings (Defending)

Decided ByCasesConvictedPartialAcquitted
Judge Alone2011
Officer Panel1001

Sentences When Defending

Enlisted (4 Convictions)

  • BCD1 of 4
  • DD1 of 4
  • No Punitive Discharge2 of 4

No Punitive Discharge

2 of 4 Enlisted Convictions

  • No punitive discharge2 of 4
50%Punitive discharge, enlisted (2 of 4)
100%Confinement (4 of 4 convictions)
4 moMedian confinement
1.3 yrsLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Defending

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 115 Communicating threats1101
Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault1010
Art. 128 Assault1010
Art. 128b Domestic violence1111
Art. 90 Willfully disobeying superior officer1110
Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation1010
Charges not listed in the record2202

As Trial Counsel (Prosecuting)

Average Contests Per Year: 0.9

13Cases
6Contested
50%Acquitted, contested cases (3 of 6)
—Partial acquittal, contested cases (none)

Pleas When Prosecuting

  • Guilty4 (31%)
  • Not Guilty5 (38%)
  • Not Reported4 (31%)

Who Decided the Case

  • Judge Alone10 (77%)
  • Enlisted Panel2 (15%)
  • Officer Panel1 (8%)

Contested Panel Cases: 3 of 6

  • Enlisted Panel2 of 6
  • Officer Panel1 of 6

Findings When Prosecuting, All Cases

  • Convicted10 (77%)
  • Acquitted3 (23%)

Contested Findings (Prosecuting)

Decided ByCasesConvictedPartialAcquitted
Judge Alone3102
Enlisted Panel2101
Officer Panel1100

Sentences When Prosecuting

Enlisted (10 Convictions)

  • BCD2 of 10
  • DD4 of 10
  • No Punitive Discharge3 of 10
  • Dismissal1 of 10

No Punitive Discharge

3 of 10 Enlisted Convictions

  • No punitive discharge3 of 10
60%Punitive discharge, enlisted (6 of 10)
100%Confinement (10 of 10 convictions)
12 moMedian confinement
9.9 yrsLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Prosecuting

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child3130
Art. 134 General article3130
Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation3030
Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances2120
Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault2111
Art. 128 Assault2020
Art. 107 False official statements1110
Art. 114 Endangerment offenses1110
Art. 128b Domestic violence1101
Charges not listed in the record1101

Opposing Counsel, Most Cases

  • Brittany M. Speirs 2
  • Jacqueline G. Waldman 2
  • Megan L. Fisher 2
  • Nathaniel J. Causey 2
  • Vaneem A. Joseph 2
  • Amanda B. Anderson 1
  • Andrea N. Ellis 1
  • Brennan M. Weiss 1

Where

  • JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska 4
  • Buckley SFB, Colorado 4
  • Goodfellow AFB, Texas 2
  • Keesler AFB, Mississippi 2
  • JBSA - Lackland, Texas 2
  • Holloman AFB, New Mexico 1
  • Maxwell AFB, Alabama 1
  • Fairchild AFB, Washington 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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