Learn Your Lawyer · Air Force · Defense and Trial Counsel
Sara J. Cotton
Counsel of record in 21 courts-martial in the Military Trial Results data
(14 as defense counsel, 7 as trial counsel)
May 2017 to Nov 2020
As Defense Counsel (Defending)
Average Contests Per Year: 2.2
Pleas When Defending
Who Decided the Case
Contested Panel Cases: 4 of 5
Findings When Defending, All Cases
Contested Findings (Defending)
| Decided By | Cases | Convicted | Partial | Acquitted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Judge Alone | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Officer Panel | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
Sentences When Defending
Enlisted (12 Convictions)
No Punitive Discharge
5 of 12 Enlisted Convictions
UCMJ Articles When Defending
| Article | Cases | Contested | Convicted | Acquitted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 6 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Art. 128 Assault | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Art. 114 Endangerment offenses | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Art. 121 Larceny | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Art. 128b Domestic violence | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Art. 134 General article | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Art. 86 AWOL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Art. 95 Offenses by sentinel or lookout | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Charges not listed in the record | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
As Trial Counsel (Prosecuting)
Average Contests Per Year: 4
Pleas When Prosecuting
Who Decided the Case
Contested Panel Cases: 4 of 4
Findings When Prosecuting, All Cases
Contested Findings (Prosecuting)
| Decided By | Cases | Convicted | Partial | Acquitted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enlisted Panel | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Officer Panel | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Sentences When Prosecuting
Enlisted (7 Convictions)
No Punitive Discharge
1 of 7 Enlisted Convictions
UCMJ Articles When Prosecuting
| Article | Cases | Contested | Convicted | Acquitted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Art. 134 General article | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Art. 121 Larceny | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Art. 127 Extortion | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Art. 128 Assault | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Art. 90 Willfully disobeying superior officer | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Judges, Most Cases Together
- Charles G. Warren 3
- Jefferson B. Brown 2
- John C. Johnson 2
- Thomas Joseph Alford 2
- Andrew Kalavanos 1
- Charles Warren 1
- Elizabeth M. Hernandez 1
- Gen Matthew D. Talcott 1
Opposing Counsel, Most Cases
- Douglas D. Hansen 3
- John V. Fuentes 3
- Nathan M. Wiebenga 3
- David M. Cisek 2
- Joel C. Brakken 2
- Aaron R. Petty 1
- Anna K. Sturges 1
- Ashley M. Ruhe 1
Where
- JB Langley-Eustis, Virginia 7
- Sheppard AFB, Texas 5
- Tinker AFB, Oklahoma 2
- Dyess AFB, Texas 2
- Buckley SFB, Colorado 1
- Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota 1
- JB Lewis-McChord, Washington 1
- FE Warren AFB, Wyoming 1
Court-Martial Data and Trends
Data from public court-martial records on the installations and UCMJ articles in these cases.
- JB Langley-Eustis, Virginia: Court-Martial Data and Trends
- Sheppard AFB, Texas: Court-Martial Data and Trends
- Tinker AFB, Oklahoma: Court-Martial Data and Trends
- Dyess AFB, Texas: Court-Martial Data and Trends
- Article 112a (Wrongful Use, Possession of Controlled Substances): Court-Martial Data and Trends
- Article 92 (Failure to Obey Order or Regulation): Court-Martial Data and Trends
- Article 128 (Assault): Court-Martial Data and Trends
- Article 134 (General Article): Court-Martial Data and Trends
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- Brandon M. Bierlein 50
- Logan W. Liles 49
- Kaylee R. Gum 43
- David M. Cisek 41
- Andrew N. Trejo 40
- Joshua F. Joyce 39
- Jasmine J. Prokscha 38
- Jason J. Zummo 38
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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. The records also write this name as Sara Jean Cotton; those cases are counted here.
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