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Learn Your Lawyer · Air Force · Defense and Trial Counsel

Ryan E. Schmidt

Counsel of record in 34 courts-martial in the Military Trial Results data
(8 as defense counsel, 26 as trial counsel)
Jun 2018 to May 2026

34Cases
8As defense counsel
26As trial counsel
17Contested (not guilty or mixed plea)

As Defense Counsel (Defending)

Average Contests Per Year: 2

8Cases
3Contested
0%Acquitted, contested cases (0 of 3)
67%Partial acquittal, contested cases (2 of 3)

Pleas When Defending

  • Guilty5 (62%)
  • Not Guilty3 (38%)

Who Decided the Case

  • Judge Alone5 (62%)
  • Enlisted Panel3 (38%)

Contested Panel Cases: 3 of 3

  • Enlisted Panel3 of 3
  • Officer Panel0 of 3

Findings When Defending, All Cases

  • Convicted6 (75%)
  • Partial Acquittal2 (25%)

Contested Findings (Defending)

Decided ByCasesConvictedPartialAcquitted
Enlisted Panel3120

Sentences When Defending

Enlisted (8 Convictions)

  • BCD1 of 8
  • DD2 of 8
  • No Punitive Discharge5 of 8

No Punitive Discharge

5 of 8 Enlisted Convictions

  • No punitive discharge5 of 8
38%Punitive discharge, enlisted (3 of 8)
100%Confinement (8 of 8 convictions)
4 moMedian confinement
2.4 yrsLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Defending

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault3321
Art. 121 Larceny2111
Art. 128b Domestic violence2211
Art. 107 False official statements1010
Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances1010
Art. 113 Drunken or reckless operation of vehicle1010
Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child1010
Art. 128 Assault1101
Art. 134 General article1010
Art. 86 AWOL1010

As Trial Counsel (Prosecuting)

Average Contests Per Year: 1.8

26Cases
14Contested
64%Acquitted, contested cases (9 of 14)
—Partial acquittal, contested cases (none)

Pleas When Prosecuting

  • Guilty11 (42%)
  • Not Guilty11 (42%)
  • Not Reported4 (15%)

Who Decided the Case

  • Judge Alone16 (62%)
  • Enlisted Panel7 (27%)
  • Officer Panel3 (12%)

Contested Panel Cases: 10 of 14

  • Enlisted Panel7 of 14
  • Officer Panel3 of 14

Findings When Prosecuting, All Cases

  • Convicted17 (65%)
  • Acquitted9 (35%)

Contested Findings (Prosecuting)

Decided ByCasesConvictedPartialAcquitted
Judge Alone4103
Enlisted Panel7304
Officer Panel3102

Sentences When Prosecuting

Enlisted (12 Convictions)

  • BCD3 of 12
  • No Punitive Discharge9 of 12

Officers and Warrant Officers (5 Convictions)

  • Dismissal2 of 5
  • No Dismissal3 of 5

No Punitive Discharge

9 of 12 Enlisted Convictions

  • No punitive discharge9 of 12

Member Retained: 3 of 5 Officer Convictions

  • No dismissal3 of 5
25%Punitive discharge, enlisted (3 of 12)
71%Confinement (12 of 17 convictions)
45 daysMedian confinement
1.1 yrsLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Prosecuting

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances12493
Art. 121 Larceny6351
Art. 134 General article4231
Art. 107 False official statements3130
Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation3121
Art. 113 Drunken or reckless operation of vehicle1101
Art. 114 Endangerment offenses1010
Art. 115 Communicating threats1010
Art. 128b Domestic violence1010
Art. 131b Obstructing justice1110
Charges not listed in the record4413

Opposing Counsel, Most Cases

Where

  • Keesler AFB, Mississippi 5
  • Ramstein AB, Germany 4
  • Tyndall AFB, Florida 3
  • McConnell AFB, Kansas 2
  • Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina 2
  • JB Langley-Eustis, Virginia 2
  • JB Charleston, South Carolina 2
  • Maxwell AFB, Alabama 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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