Military Lawyer and Court-Martial Defense Attorney

When the military justice system comes after your career, your rank, and possibly your freedom, the detailed defense counsel assigned to you is not your only option. You have the right to hire a civilian military lawyer — and the one you choose should know the courtroom you are walking into. Scot Sikes served over 21 years in the U.S. Army, more than a decade of it inside the military justice system as a JAG officer, military prosecutor, and Senior Defense Counsel. From his office in Columbus, GA, minutes from Fort Benning, he defends service members of every branch, at installations across the Southeast and around the world.

Court-Martial Defense Under the UCMJ

A court-martial is a real criminal trial with real consequences: confinement, forfeitures, reduction in rank, and a punitive discharge that follows you for life. The Uniform Code of Military Justice has its own rules of evidence, its own procedures, and its own culture — a civilian criminal lawyer without military experience is learning on your time. Mr. Sikes has practiced on both sides of the courtroom, as prosecutor and defense counsel, and brings that insider’s perspective to:

• General courts-martial — the forum for the most serious offenses
• Special courts-martial — for mid-level offenses that can still end a career
• Pretrial investigations and preferral of charges, where early advocacy can change the trajectory of a case

When a case commits him, he investigates it the way he was trained to as a prosecutor: interviewing witnesses, developing the evidence, and building a case designed to hold up under fire in the courtroom.

Administrative Actions That Can End a Career

Not every fight happens at trial. Some of the most damaging actions in a service member’s life are “administrative” — a label that understates what is at stake. The firm represents members facing:

• Administrative separation boards, where your characterization of service and benefits hang in the balance
• Article 15 / non-judicial punishment, including the decision whether to accept NJP or demand trial by court-martial
• Discharge upgrade requests for veterans whose characterization keeps closing doors years after service
• Military records corrections to fix errors and injustices in official files
• Military medical malpractice claims

Why Experience Inside the System Matters

Military proceedings are governed by laws and regulations that differ sharply from civilian courts, and the habits that win civilian cases can backfire in a panel trial. As a former Military Police company commander and Senior Defense Counsel, Mr. Sikes understands how commands think, how prosecutors build cases, and where those cases crack. Just as important, he understands the sacrifices service members and their families make — which is why he is committed to making sure the Constitution follows you into uniform. Cases he has handled have drawn coverage from national media outlets including CNN, Fox, and network news.

Representing Service Members Wherever They Serve

While the firm sits at the doorstep of Fort Benning, its military practice is national and global. Mr. Sikes has represented clients stationed at installations across the Southeast — including Fort Stewart, Fort Gordon, Fort Rucker, Fort Bragg, Fort Polk, Robins Air Force Base, Moody Air Force Base, Eglin Air Force Base, Pensacola Naval Air Station, and MacDill Air Force Base — as well as personnel serving in the Middle East and the Pacific, including Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Hawaii, Japan, and Korea. He represents members of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.

The practice also connects naturally with the rest of the firm’s work. Service members and their dependents facing charges in Georgia’s civilian courts turn to our criminal defense practice; those navigating a divorce complicated by military service work with our military divorce practice; and families sorting out custody or support find help through our family law services. You can read more about Mr. Sikes’s background on our firm profile.

If you are under investigation, facing charges, or fighting an adverse administrative action, do not wait for the command to make the next move. The earlier a defense begins, the more options you have.