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Learn Your Lawyer · Air Force · Defense and Trial Counsel

Ryan S. Crnkovich

Counsel of record in 18 courts-martial in the Military Trial Results data
(12 as defense counsel, 6 as trial counsel)
Sep 2016 to Nov 2020

18Cases
12As defense counsel
6As trial counsel
13Contested (not guilty or mixed plea)

As Defense Counsel (Defending)

Average Contests Per Year: 4.2

12Cases
9Contested
33%Acquitted, contested cases (3 of 9)
22%Partial acquittal, contested cases (2 of 9)

Pleas When Defending

  • Not Guilty8 (67%)
  • Not Reported4 (33%)

Who Decided the Case

  • Judge Alone5 (42%)
  • Enlisted Panel1 (8%)
  • Officer Panel5 (42%)
  • Not Reported1 (8%)

Contested Panel Cases: 6 of 9

  • Enlisted Panel1 of 9
  • Officer Panel5 of 9

Findings When Defending, All Cases

  • Convicted7 (58%)
  • Partial Acquittal2 (17%)
  • Acquitted3 (25%)

Contested Findings (Defending)

Decided ByCasesConvictedPartialAcquitted
Judge Alone2011
Enlisted Panel1100
Officer Panel5302
Not Reported1010

Sentences When Defending

Enlisted (8 Convictions)

  • BCD1 of 8
  • DD1 of 8
  • No Punitive Discharge5 of 8
  • Dismissal1 of 8

Officers and Warrant Officers (1 Conviction)

  • No Dismissal1 of 1

No Punitive Discharge

5 of 8 Enlisted Convictions

  • No punitive discharge5 of 8

Member Retained: 1 of 1 Officer Conviction

  • No dismissal1 of 1
25%Punitive discharge, enlisted (2 of 8)
100%Confinement (9 of 9 convictions)
3 moMedian confinement
12.0 yrsLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Defending

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances7470
Art. 134 General article2120
Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault1110
Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child1110
Art. 128 Assault1101
Charges not listed in the record3303

As Trial Counsel (Prosecuting)

Average Contests Per Year: 3.9

6Cases
4Contested
25%Acquitted, contested cases (1 of 4)
—Partial acquittal, contested cases (none)

Pleas When Prosecuting

  • Not Guilty3 (50%)
  • Not Reported3 (50%)

Who Decided the Case

  • Judge Alone3 (50%)
  • Enlisted Panel1 (17%)
  • Officer Panel2 (33%)

Contested Panel Cases: 3 of 4

  • Enlisted Panel1 of 4
  • Officer Panel2 of 4

Findings When Prosecuting, All Cases

  • Convicted5 (83%)
  • Acquitted1 (17%)

Contested Findings (Prosecuting)

Decided ByCasesConvictedPartialAcquitted
Judge Alone1001
Enlisted Panel1100
Officer Panel2200

Sentences When Prosecuting

Enlisted (5 Convictions)

  • BCD3 of 5
  • No Punitive Discharge2 of 5

No Punitive Discharge

2 of 5 Enlisted Convictions

  • No punitive discharge2 of 5
60%Punitive discharge, enlisted (3 of 5)
60%Confinement (3 of 5 convictions)
30 daysMedian confinement
3 moLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Prosecuting

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances3230
Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation2120
Art. 107 False official statements1010
Art. 111 (former: Drunken or reckless driving)1110
Art. 121 Larceny1010
Charges not listed in the record1101

Opposing Counsel, Most Cases

Where

  • Peterson SFB, Colorado 10
  • USAF Academy, Colorado 3
  • Schriever SFB, Colorado 1
  • Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota 1
  • McConnell AFB, Kansas 1
  • Whiteman AFB, Missouri 1
  • Barksdale AFB, Louisiana 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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