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Learn Your Lawyer · Air Force · Defense and Trial Counsel

Vincent W. Abruzzese

Counsel of record in 19 courts-martial in the Military Trial Results data
(17 as defense counsel, 2 as trial counsel)
Mar 2016 to Aug 2020

19Cases
17As defense counsel
2As trial counsel
9Contested (not guilty or mixed plea)

As Defense Counsel (Defending)

Average Contests Per Year: 4.2

17Cases
9Contested
33%Acquitted, contested cases (3 of 9)
—Partial acquittal, contested cases (none)

Pleas When Defending

  • Guilty1 (6%)
  • Not Guilty9 (53%)
  • Not Reported7 (41%)

Who Decided the Case

  • Judge Alone8 (47%)
  • Enlisted Panel6 (35%)
  • Officer Panel3 (18%)

Contested Panel Cases: 9 of 9

  • Enlisted Panel6 of 9
  • Officer Panel3 of 9

Findings When Defending, All Cases

  • Convicted14 (82%)
  • Acquitted3 (18%)

Contested Findings (Defending)

Decided ByCasesConvictedPartialAcquitted
Enlisted Panel6303
Officer Panel3300

Sentences When Defending

Enlisted (14 Convictions)

  • BCD4 of 14
  • DD1 of 14
  • No Punitive Discharge9 of 14

No Punitive Discharge

9 of 14 Enlisted Convictions

  • No punitive discharge9 of 14
36%Punitive discharge, enlisted (5 of 14)
100%Confinement (14 of 14 convictions)
4 moMedian confinement
3.5 yrsLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Defending

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances8380
Art. 134 General article5250
Art. 107 False official statements1010
Art. 113 Drunken or reckless operation of vehicle1010
Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child1110
Art. 120c Other sexual misconduct1010
Art. 121 Larceny1110
Art. 128 Assault1010
Art. 85 Desertion1010
Charges not listed in the record3303

As Trial Counsel (Prosecuting)

Average Contests Per Year: 0

2Cases
0Contested
—Acquitted, contested cases (none)
—Partial acquittal, contested cases (none)

Pleas When Prosecuting

  • Not Reported2 (100%)

Who Decided the Case

  • Judge Alone2 (100%)

Findings When Prosecuting, All Cases

  • Convicted2 (100%)

Contested Findings (Prosecuting)

No contested cases

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)
45 daysMedian confinement
45 daysLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Prosecuting

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances2020
Art. 86 AWOL1010

Opposing Counsel, Most Cases

Where

  • Barksdale AFB, Louisiana 5
  • McConnell AFB, Kansas 5
  • Holloman AFB, New Mexico 1
  • Dyess AFB, Texas 1
  • Tinker AFB, Oklahoma 1
  • JBSA - Lackland, Texas 1
  • Minot AFB, North Dakota 1
  • Vance AFB, Oklahoma 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. The records also write this name as Vincent C. Abruzzese, Vincent W. Abuzzese, Vinent W. Abruzzese; those cases are counted here.

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