When Your Military Career Is on the Line, Experience on Both Sides of the Courtroom Matters
Attorney Keith Anthony spent four years prosecuting courts-martial as a Marine Corps JAG officer. He is currently a Reserve Major with nearly 20 years of total service. He knows exactly how military prosecutors build their cases — because he built them.
Mission Focus Legal Group serves service members stationed at and near Naval Submarine Base New London and throughout Connecticut. When you are facing a UCMJ investigation, a court-martial, or an administrative separation board, the attorney you hire needs to understand military law from the inside. Keith does.
Why a Civilian Military Lawyer — Not Just Your Assigned JAG
The military provides JAG defense counsel at no cost. That attorney is a trained lawyer. They are also a uniformed officer inside the same chain of command that is prosecuting your case.
A civilian military defense attorney operates completely outside that structure. No commanding officer can pressure the representation. No career considerations inside the military affect the advice you receive. The only obligation is to you and your outcome.
There is a second factor that matters just as much: time. A JAG defense attorney carries a full caseload assigned by the command. A civilian attorney you hire can dedicate focused attention to your case from the moment you call.
Civilian attorneys are independent of the command structure — completely
No chain-of-command pressure affects the strategy or the advice
Full attention to your case, not a shared government caseload
Former JAG prosecution experience means we understand both sides of the table
Nearly 20 years of military service means we understand the culture, the stakes, and what you stand to lose
The First 72 Hours of a UCMJ Investigation Shape Everything That Follows
Most service members wait too long to contact a civilian attorney. They assume the process will sort itself out, or they rely entirely on assigned counsel without understanding their options.
The decisions made before an Article 32 hearing is waived, before a plea is entered, and before the government has locked in its theory of the case — those decisions have more impact on the outcome than almost anything that happens later. Early intervention is where outcomes are most influenced.
If you are under investigation, do not wait for charges to be preferred before you call.
CLIENT TRUST
Families Across Cedar Park Trust a Thoughtful Planning Process
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UCMJ Offenses We Defend
UCMJ proceedings cover a wide range of offenses. The charges below represent the categories we handle most frequently. Each carries its own procedural framework, evidentiary standards, and potential consequences for your career and your record.
Sexual assault and related offenses (Article 120)
Drug offenses — use, distribution, and positive urinalysis results
AWOL and desertion
Assault and battery
Larceny, fraud, and financial crimes
Conduct unbecoming and other character-based charges
The subpages below go deeper on each area of military law we handle. If you do not see your specific charge listed, call us directly — we will tell you plainly whether we can help.
Military Law Services
If you were injured in a car accident, truck accident, motorcycle crash, or a slip and fall, you have a limited window to act. We take personal injury cases on contingency — you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you. Our Groton, Guilford, and New Haven offices serve clients across New London County and beyond.
A court-martial is the military's most serious criminal proceeding. The consequences — federal conviction, punitive discharge, confinement, loss of benefits — follow you for life. We defend against all levels of court-martial, from summary to general, with the full weight of former JAG prosecution experience behind the defense strategy.
An Article 15 may feel like a lesser proceeding, but accepting one without understanding the consequences can affect your rank, your pay, and your record. You have the right to refuse NJP and demand trial by court-martial. We help you understand which path serves your interests before you accept anything.
Administrative separation proceedings can end a military career without a criminal conviction. A board of inquiry can strip an officer of an honorable discharge and eliminate retirement eligibility. These proceedings deserve the same level of representation as a court-martial — and we treat them that way.
Serving Naval Submarine Base New London and All of Connecticut
Our Groton office is located within three miles of Naval Submarine Base New London — the largest submarine base in the United States and the geographic center of our military law practice. We serve active-duty service members, reservists, and their families throughout southeastern Connecticut, including clients in New London, Waterford, Ledyard, Groton, and surrounding communities.
Virtual consultations are available for service members who cannot meet in person.
Frequently Asked Questions About Military Law in Connecticut
Do I need a civilian military lawyer if the military already assigned me a JAG defense attorney?
You are not required to hire a civilian attorney, but you have the right to do so at your own expense. The key difference is independence. Your assigned JAG counsel is a uniformed officer inside the same chain of command that is prosecuting your case. A civilian attorney answers only to you. For serious charges or career-defining proceedings, most experienced military law practitioners recommend retaining civilian counsel in addition to — or instead of — relying solely on assigned JAG defense.
What is a UCMJ attorney and how is one different from a regular criminal defense lawyer?
A UCMJ attorney is a lawyer with specific knowledge of the Uniform Code of Military Justice — the federal law that governs criminal conduct and disciplinary proceedings for all U.S. military branches. Military proceedings have different rules, different forums, and different consequences than civilian criminal courts. An attorney without military law experience will face a steep learning curve on procedures that a former JAG officer already knows in detail.
How soon should I contact a military defense lawyer after an investigation begins?
As soon as possible — ideally before you have spoken to investigators or anyone in your chain of command about the allegations. The statements you make and the decisions you agree to in the early stages of a UCMJ investigation can significantly narrow your options later. Early intervention is consistently where outcomes are most influenced.
Can a civilian military lawyer help with an Article 15 or is that only for court-martial cases?
Civilian military attorneys handle the full range of UCMJ proceedings, including Article 15 non-judicial punishment, administrative separation boards, and boards of inquiry — not only courts-martial. In many cases, the decision of whether to accept NJP or demand trial by court-martial is one of the most consequential choices a service member makes. Having experienced counsel before that decision is made matters.
Does Mission Focus Legal Group serve service members at Naval Submarine Base New London?
Yes. Our Groton office is located within three miles of Naval Submarine Base New London. We serve active-duty personnel, reservists, and military families throughout southeastern Connecticut. Virtual consultations are available for those who cannot come in person.
Your Career Is Not Over Until We Have Reviewed the Evidence
A UCMJ investigation or court-martial charge is not a verdict. The outcome depends heavily on who is representing you, how early they get involved, and whether they understand how the military prosecution side of these cases actually works. We do.