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Learn Your Lawyer · Air Force · Defense and Trial Counsel

Sloan W. Smith

Counsel of record in 18 courts-martial in the Military Trial Results data
(15 as defense counsel, 3 as trial counsel)
Oct 2020 to Feb 2025

18Cases
15As defense counsel
3As trial counsel
3Contested (not guilty or mixed plea)

As Defense Counsel (Defending)

Average Contests Per Year: 0.7

15Cases
2Contested
100%Acquitted, contested cases (2 of 2)
—Partial acquittal, contested cases (none)

Pleas When Defending

  • Guilty13 (87%)
  • Not Guilty2 (13%)

Who Decided the Case

  • Judge Alone14 (93%)
  • Enlisted Panel1 (7%)

Contested Panel Cases: 1 of 2

  • Enlisted Panel1 of 2
  • Officer Panel0 of 2

Findings When Defending, All Cases

  • Convicted13 (87%)
  • Acquitted2 (13%)

Contested Findings (Defending)

Decided ByCasesConvictedPartialAcquitted
Judge Alone1001
Enlisted Panel1001

Sentences When Defending

Enlisted (12 Convictions)

  • BCD5 of 12
  • DD1 of 12
  • No Punitive Discharge6 of 12

Officers and Warrant Officers (1 Conviction)

  • Dismissal1 of 1

No Punitive Discharge

6 of 12 Enlisted Convictions

  • No punitive discharge6 of 12

Member Retained: 0 of 1 Officer Conviction

  • No dismissal0 of 1
50%Punitive discharge, enlisted (6 of 12)
92%Confinement (12 of 13 convictions)
3 moMedian confinement
2.5 yrsLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Defending

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances7070
Art. 128b Domestic violence3030
Art. 104a Fraudulent enlistment1010
Art. 107 False official statements1010
Art. 124 Frauds against the United States1010
Art. 128 Assault1010
Art. 134 General article1010
Art. 82 Soliciting1010
Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation1010
Charges not listed in the record2202

As Trial Counsel (Prosecuting)

Average Contests Per Year: 1

3Cases
1Contested
0%Acquitted, contested cases (0 of 1)
—Partial acquittal, contested cases (none)

Pleas When Prosecuting

  • Guilty2 (67%)
  • Not Guilty1 (33%)

Who Decided the Case

  • Judge Alone2 (67%)
  • Officer Panel1 (33%)

Contested Panel Cases: 1 of 1

  • Enlisted Panel0 of 1
  • Officer Panel1 of 1

Findings When Prosecuting, All Cases

  • Convicted2 (67%)
  • Lack of Mental Responsibility1 (33%)

Contested Findings (Prosecuting)

Decided ByCasesConvictedPartialAcquitted
Officer Panel1000

Sentences When Prosecuting

Enlisted (2 Convictions)

  • BCD1 of 2
  • No Punitive Discharge1 of 2

No Punitive Discharge

1 of 2 Enlisted Convictions

  • No punitive discharge1 of 2
50%Punitive discharge, enlisted (1 of 2)
100%Confinement (2 of 2 convictions)
4 moMedian confinement
7 moLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Prosecuting

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 107 False official statements1010
Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances1010
Art. 121 Larceny1010
Art. 129 Burglary; unlawful entry1010
Art. 130 (former: Housebreaking)1010
Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation1010
Charges not listed in the record1100

Opposing Counsel, Most Cases

Where

  • McConnell AFB, Kansas 7
  • Offutt AFB, Nebraska 4
  • Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 1
  • Fairchild AFB, Washington 1
  • Little Rock AFB, Arkansas 1
  • USAF Academy, Colorado 1
  • Vance AFB, Oklahoma 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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