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Learn Your Lawyer · Air Force · Defense and Trial Counsel

William V. Cochrane Jr.

Counsel of record in 16 courts-martial in the Military Trial Results data
(9 as defense counsel, 7 as trial counsel)
May 2017 to Mar 2021

16Cases
9As defense counsel
7As trial counsel
6Contested (not guilty or mixed plea)

As Defense Counsel (Defending)

Average Contests Per Year: 3.6

9Cases
4Contested
50%Acquitted, contested cases (2 of 4)
25%Partial acquittal, contested cases (1 of 4)

Pleas When Defending

  • Guilty3 (33%)
  • Not Guilty4 (44%)
  • Not Reported2 (22%)

Who Decided the Case

  • Judge Alone5 (56%)
  • Enlisted Panel3 (33%)
  • Officer Panel1 (11%)

Contested Panel Cases: 4 of 4

  • Enlisted Panel3 of 4
  • Officer Panel1 of 4

Findings When Defending, All Cases

  • Convicted6 (67%)
  • Partial Acquittal1 (11%)
  • Acquitted2 (22%)

Contested Findings (Defending)

Decided ByCasesConvictedPartialAcquitted
Enlisted Panel3111
Officer Panel1001

Sentences When Defending

Enlisted (7 Convictions)

  • BCD3 of 7
  • DD2 of 7
  • No Punitive Discharge2 of 7

No Punitive Discharge

2 of 7 Enlisted Convictions

  • No punitive discharge2 of 7
71%Punitive discharge, enlisted (5 of 7)
100%Confinement (7 of 7 convictions)
4 moMedian confinement
18.5 yrsLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Defending

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances3130
Art. 128 Assault3130
Art. 107 False official statements1010
Art. 109 Property other than military; waste, spoilage, destruction1010
Art. 113 Drunken or reckless operation of vehicle1010
Art. 116 Riot or breach of peace1010
Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault1110
Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child1010
Art. 131b Obstructing justice1010
Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation1010
Charges not listed in the record2202

As Trial Counsel (Prosecuting)

Average Contests Per Year: 1

7Cases
2Contested
0%Acquitted, contested cases (0 of 2)
50%Partial acquittal, contested cases (1 of 2)

Pleas When Prosecuting

  • Not Guilty2 (29%)
  • Not Reported5 (71%)

Who Decided the Case

  • Judge Alone5 (71%)
  • Officer Panel2 (29%)

Contested Panel Cases: 2 of 2

  • Enlisted Panel0 of 2
  • Officer Panel2 of 2

Findings When Prosecuting, All Cases

  • Convicted6 (86%)
  • Partial Acquittal1 (14%)

Contested Findings (Prosecuting)

Decided ByCasesConvictedPartialAcquitted
Officer Panel2110

Sentences When Prosecuting

Enlisted (7 Convictions)

  • DD3 of 7
  • No Punitive Discharge4 of 7

No Punitive Discharge

4 of 7 Enlisted Convictions

  • No punitive discharge4 of 7
43%Punitive discharge, enlisted (3 of 7)
86%Confinement (6 of 7 convictions)
1.1 yrsMedian confinement
5.0 yrsLongest confinement

UCMJ Articles When Prosecuting

ArticleCasesContestedConvictedAcquitted
Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances3130
Art. 134 General article3030
Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault1110
Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child1010
Art. 120c Other sexual misconduct1010
Art. 127 Extortion1010
Art. 90 Willfully disobeying superior officer1110

Opposing Counsel, Most Cases

Where

  • Beale AFB, California 7
  • Travis AFB, California 3
  • Mountain Home AFB, Idaho 2
  • Misawa AB, Japan 1
  • Luke AFB, Arizona 1
  • Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona 1
  • Vandenberg SFB, California 1

More Air Force Lawyers

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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.

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