Chicago Law Firm Urges Military Members Accused of Crimes to Retain Civilian Counsel in Light of Scott AFB Airman's 25-Year Sentence

CHICAGO, Ill, October 28, 2015 (Newswire.com) - The civilian military criminal defense attorneys of Gagne, Scherer & Associates, LLC are recommending that any military member accused of a criminal offense retain qualified civilian legal counsel after an Air Force technical sergeant was sentenced to 25 years in prison. David Lawrence Helm, who went AWOL just days before proceedings against him were set to begin, pled guilty late last summer to child sexual assault, desertion, and illegally recording the private area of a woman. Helm was taken into custody in June of this year in Nevada, where he told law enforcement that he had gone to Las Vegas to drive a high-performance car and skydive as part of a “bucket list.”

Military members who are accused of serious crimes like sexual assault face extremely serious legal consequences as well as the end of their military careers, including lengthy periods of confinement. In addition, a conviction and a dishonorable discharge can have a significant impact on a former military member’s ability to find work and find a place to live in the civilian world. For this reason, the attorneys of Gagne, Scherer & Associates, LLC highly recommend retaining an attorney thoroughly knowledgeable about military law and who has insider experience with the way the military justice system operates. Some of the reasons the firm recommends hiring a civilian attorney are that former military lawyers often have much more experience than those who are currently serving and civilian attorneys generally have more time to devote to individual clients than government-appointed lawyers.

Gagne, Scherer & Associates, LLC is a Chicago-based military criminal defense firm whose attorneys are all former members of the Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps. The firm regularly represents military members around the world who have been accused of a variety of offenses including computer sex crimes, drug crimes, fraternization, fraud, larceny, sexual assault, and violent crimes. Military members who are seeking legal representation can schedule a free consultation with one of the firm’s attorneys by calling the firm at 877-867-5247.

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Contact:

Keith Scherer

Gagne, Scherer & Associates, LLC

6485 N. Avondale Ave., Suite D

Chicago, IL 60631

Phone: 773-774-6741

Fax: 773-724-2083