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Learn Your Lawyer · Air Force · Defense and Trial Counsel

Thomas J. Olsen

Counsel of record in 35 courts-martial in the Military Trial Results data
(13 as defense counsel, 22 as trial counsel)
Dec 2015 to Apr 2022

35Cases
13As defense counsel
22As trial counsel
19Contested (not guilty or mixed plea)

As Defense Counsel (Defending)

Average Contests Per Year: 3.2

13Cases
6Contested
50%Acquitted, contested cases (3 of 6)
17%Partial acquittal, contested cases (1 of 6)

Pleas When Defending

  • Not Guilty5 (38%)
  • Not Reported8 (62%)

Who Decided the Case

  • Judge Alone8 (62%)
  • Enlisted Panel1 (8%)
  • Officer Panel4 (31%)

Contested Panel Cases: 5 of 6

  • Enlisted Panel1 of 6
  • Officer Panel4 of 6

Findings When Defending, All Cases

  • Convicted9 (69%)
  • Partial Acquittal1 (8%)
  • Acquitted3 (23%)

Contested Findings (Defending)

Decided ByCasesConvictedPartialAcquitted
Judge Alone1010
Enlisted Panel1100
Officer Panel4103

Sentences When Defending

Enlisted (10 Convictions)

  • BCD4 of 10
  • DD1 of 10
  • No Punitive Discharge5 of 10

No Punitive Discharge

5 of 10 Enlisted Convictions

  • No punitive discharge5 of 10
50%Punitive discharge, enlisted (5 of 10)
80%Confinement (8 of 10 convictions)
3 moMedian confinement
1.6 yrsLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Defending

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances7270
Art. 134 General article2120
Art. 111 (former: Drunken or reckless driving)1010
Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault1110
Art. 121 Larceny1110
Art. 80 Attempts1010
Art. 86 AWOL1010
Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation1110
Charges not listed in the record3303

As Trial Counsel (Prosecuting)

Average Contests Per Year: 2.8

22Cases
13Contested
46%Acquitted, contested cases (6 of 13)
38%Partial acquittal, contested cases (5 of 13)

Pleas When Prosecuting

  • Guilty4 (18%)
  • Not Guilty12 (55%)
  • Not Reported6 (27%)

Who Decided the Case

  • Judge Alone11 (50%)
  • Enlisted Panel6 (27%)
  • Officer Panel5 (23%)

Contested Panel Cases: 11 of 13

  • Enlisted Panel6 of 13
  • Officer Panel5 of 13

Findings When Prosecuting, All Cases

  • Convicted11 (50%)
  • Partial Acquittal5 (23%)
  • Acquitted6 (27%)

Contested Findings (Prosecuting)

Decided ByCasesConvictedPartialAcquitted
Judge Alone2011
Enlisted Panel6033
Officer Panel5212

Sentences When Prosecuting

Enlisted (13 Convictions)

  • BCD3 of 13
  • DD6 of 13
  • No Punitive Discharge4 of 13

Officers and Warrant Officers (3 Convictions)

  • Dismissal3 of 3

No Punitive Discharge

4 of 13 Enlisted Convictions

  • No punitive discharge4 of 13

Member Retained: 0 of 3 Officer Convictions

  • No dismissal0 of 3
69%Punitive discharge, enlisted (9 of 13)
94%Confinement (15 of 16 convictions)
1.2 yrsMedian confinement
24.0 yrsLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Prosecuting

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 134 General article6160
Art. 128 Assault5350
Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault4442
Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child3131
Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation2020
Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances1010
Art. 120c Other sexual misconduct1110
Art. 121 Larceny1010
Art. 129 Burglary; unlawful entry1110
Art. 133 Conduct unbecoming an officer1010
Charges not listed in the record6606

Opposing Counsel, Most Cases

Where

  • Nellis AFB, Nevada 7
  • Holloman AFB, New Mexico 3
  • JB Andrews, Maryland 2
  • JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska 2
  • Maxwell AFB, Alabama 2
  • Hill AFB, Utah 1
  • Eielson AFB, Alaska 1
  • Creech AFB, Nevada 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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