The mission of the Law Center is to provide professional and efficient legal services to active duty personnel, retired personnel, dependents and spouses in Twentynine Palms, as well as the surrounding area.
NOTARY
Legal Assistance can notarize documents at any time during our normal operating hours. Please be advised that we are not able to certify true copies of public, registered or court documents unless we view the original copy. Examples: Birth certificates, marriage licenses, court orders, grant deeds, etc.)
Before coming to the office, please be aware that your unit’s CO, XO, Admin Officer, Legal Officer, Assistant Legal Officer, or any O-4 and above have the ability to notarize documents.
POWER OF ATTORNEY
Vehicle Power of Attorney grants another person Special Power of Attorney for vehicle except selling the vehicle.
Special Power of Attorney Children (in Loco Parentis) allows others to act in your place as a caregiver.
Special Power of Attorney (SPOA) grants another person management of a specific power you have assigned on behalf of your absence.
General Power of Attorney (GPOA) grants another person to manage anything on behalf of your absence (not recommend).
*ALL Power of Attorneys have a maximum expiration date of one year and must be signed in front of a notary*
WILLS
Legal Assistance can assist in preparing basic wills, durable financial power of attorney, and healthcare directives. If you would like a will, please fill out the will worksheet (linked below) and bring it to the office during normal walk-in hours.
Please download the form that applies to your situation.
Will Worksheet for persons without biological or adopted children and who are not expecting or in the process of adopting a child.
Will Worksheet for persons who have or are expecting children.
FAMILY LAW
Parties considering marital dissolution must attend our Divorce Brief held every Wednesday at 0800 in building 1514 before receiving any paperwork. The California Courts Self Help Guide covers all aspects of divorce in the state of California.
PRE-DEPLOYMENT BRIEF
If your unit is deploying soon Legal Assistance is able to provide a presentation on powers of attorney and wills. The unit’s Legal Officer must contact the Legal Assistance Office no later than one month prior to deployment to give our office enough time for preparation.
CITIZENSHIP & IMMIGRATION
If you are an active duty military member, you and anyone listed as your dependent are able to receive services to aid you in your citizenship status. For assistance, contact the Immigration Specialist at Camp Pendleton at 760-725-6882 (available on Wednesday only).
Military Help Line
877-247-4645
https://www.uscis.gov/military/military-help-line
CONSUMER LAW
The Law Center is able to provide guidance to individuals with legal problems with theft or fraudulent use of credit card, landlord/ tenant issues, contracts, and billing errors.
Walk-in hours are every Tuesday and Thursday from 0800-1100. Please bring any paperwork related to your legal issue. Military attorneys are unable to represent clients in town.
LEGAL ASSISTANCE DOES NOT HANDLE
Bankruptcy
Criminal Law
Traffic tickets
Civilian Restraining Orders
Matters against the Armed Forces or Government Entities
Location: 29 Palms Defense Building 1428
Hours: 1300 - 1600 Tuesday and Thursday (excluding holidays) or by appointment
Phone: 760-830-5271
Services
The DSO offers services limited to the uniformed service members on active duty and reservist components. We provide defense counsel services for those who may need legal advice or are facing Administrative Separation, Non-Judicial Punishment, Summary Court-Martial, Special Court-Martial, or General Court-Martial.
We assist clients with their rights and guide them through the administrative and judicial process that they may be facing and ensure that every decision we make is in the best interest of our clients.
We do not provide any legal services to dependents of uniformed service members, and we do not represent uniformed service members in civilian courts.
Walk-in Counseling
Walk-ins accepted only for the following: Administrative Separation, Non-Judicial Punishment, Fast Track Counseling, Summary Court-Martial, Courts-Martial, Adverse Administrative Counseling, or Criminal Law Legal Advice.
Required Documentation for Walk-In Counseling
Without the following materials, the Defense Trial Team may determine that the individual Marine cannot be adequately counseled.
- The charge sheet.
- Administrative separation notification or similar documents.
- Administrative counseling documents.
- Summary of the evidence that will be used at the hearing. (If applicable this must be provided before a defense counsel will be made available to provide walk-in counseling).
Guidance & References
In a legal emergency, we strongly urge you to exercise your legal rights under Article 31(b) of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and the United States Constitution, even if you believe you may be innocent.
- You have the right to remain silent when questioned by law enforcement or by your command. If you choose to exercise this right, they must cease questioning immediately and “scrupulously honor” your request.
- You have the right to be informed of the nature of the accusation against you.
- You have the right to speak to a lawyer prior to questioning. You also have a right to have a defense attorney present during questioning. In the military, a defense attorney will be provided at no expense.
- You have the right to be free from unreasonable searches. It is not a mere courtesy when law enforcement asks permission to perform a search of your residence, your vehicle, your bags, or your pockets. They are asking for your legal consent, which you have a right to refuse. Refusing consent will force them to get a command search authorization (a search warrant).
Your choice to use any of these rights cannot be used against you in trial by court martial.
Law enforcement is legally permitted to lie to you during questioning. They can fabricate witnesses, evidence, or falsely claim that others have already agreed to testify against you.
No prosecutor, law enforcement officer, or member of your command has authority to “go easy” on you. If you want to own up to your misconduct, speak to your defense attorney. He can use your willingness to negotiate a written, pre-trial agreement.
Confidentiality
You should tell the truth to your defense attorney. You can trust that what is said in private will remain private as your defense attorney has a legal and ethical obligation to keep your secrets.
According to the Rules of Professional Conduct, a covered attorney shall not reveal information relating to representation of a client unless the client consents after consultation, except for disclosures that are impliedly authorized in order to carry out the representation, and except as stated in paragraphs (b) and (c) of the Rule of Professional Conduct 1.6, JAG Inst. 5803.1C.
Paragraph (b) refers to when a lawyer suspects a client of intent to commit a crime likely to result in imminent death or substantial bodily harm. Paragraph (c) refers to litigation between an attorney and a client.
Communications made in private to an attorney are covered by the attorney-client privilege and cannot be introduced into evidence in a trial by court-martial.
Military Rules of Evidence
A client has the privilege of refusing to disclose, and to prevent any other person from disclosing, confidential communications made for the purpose of facilitating the rendition of professional legal services to the client. Military Rule of Evidence 502(a).
If you disclose anything to anyone other than a defense attorney about your case, the prosecutor may be able to force that person to testify against you. Do not talk to anyone besides defense counsel about your case. Defense Services Office does not reveal whether a service member is currently talking to a lawyer or has talked to a lawyer in the past.
Professional Independence: Defense attorneys serve independently of the local chain of command.
MARCORSEPMAN (MCO P1900.16)
Manual for Courts-Martial
IRAM (MCO P1070.12K)
JAGINST 5800.7G, Manual of the Judge Advocate General
MCO 6110.3 Marine Corps Body Composition and Military Appearance Program
The Volunteer Tax Support Assistance office (VITA) tax center is no longer available as a tax assistant on MCAGCC. As an alternative, consider the free tax assistance online using MilTax through Military OneSource.
MilTax software is intended for active-duty and reserve personnel, military spouses, dependents, and retired and honorably discharged veterans (within 365 of their discharge). Updated software will become available for the new tax year starting the end of January.
MilTax software is provided by Military OneSource.
More information about MilTax assistance is available at https://www.militaryonesource.mil/financial-legal/taxes/miltax-military-tax-services/.
MISSION
The mission of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Trial Services Office is to provide support to our local commands as they pursue all avenues of Military Justice. The trial counsel and legal service specialists of the Trial Services Office provide zealous, ethical, and effective prosecution services to commanders who are pursuing justice through the use of judicial, nonjudicial, or administrative means. We strive to ensure that the military justice system is both fair and just.
REQUESTING LEGAL SERVICES
1) Download and complete the Request for Legal Services (RLS) form.
2) Submit your completed form via email: 29PalmsTrialServices@usmc.onmicrosoft.com.
Phone: 760-830-670
Victims' Legal Counsel Office Contacts
Sgt Leobardo Corrales, Paralegal Specialist
Phone: 760-830-5162
Email: leobardo.corrales@usmc.mil
1stLt Joshua B. Ritter, Attorney
Phone: 760-212-6889 or 669-253-6217
Email: joshua.ritter@usmc.mil
MISSION
The Marine Corps Victims' Legal Counsel Organization is fully committed to provide legal advice, counseling, and representation to victims of sexual assault and other crimes, and to protect victims' rights at all stages of the military justice process.
GENERAL ONFORMATION
VLCO services are primarily intended for active duty military members and reservists on active duty who are victims of sexual assault; however, eligible victims of other crimes in violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) may also seek assistance from a Victims’ Legal Counsel (VLC) as provided under 10 USC §1044 and JAGINST 5800.7F (JAGMAN).
A victim of sexual assault shall be informed and given the opportunity to consult with a VLC as soon as the victim receives assistance from a Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC), Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) Program or Family Advocacy Program (FAP) Victim Advocate, military criminal investigator, victim-witness liaison or coordinator, or trial counsel. 10 USC §1565b.
Marine Corps VLC are judge advocates, who are highly qualified attorneys with extensive military justice backgrounds, have completed a certified victims’ advocacy course, and are required to be selected through a "sensitive screening process." The VLCO chain-of-command is functionally independent of convening authorities, staff judge advocates, LSSS OICs, trial counsel, and defense counsel. VLC are under the supervision of, and report to, the OIC, VLCO, who reports directly to the Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps.
VLCO services supplement, not replace, existing victim support services, including assistance currently provided by VWAP, SAPR Program, FAP, SARC, and Victim Advocates.
Conversations between VLC and victims are confidential and privileged communications. The relationship between a VLC and victim is that of an attorney-client relationship.
VLC provide victims an overview of the military justice system, including investigation of crimes; roles and responsibilities of the convening authority, trial counsel, defense counsel, and investigators; purpose of the Article 32 hearing (also known as a Preliminary Hearing); preferral and referral of charges; trial procedures; and evidentiary matters.
VLC assist victims to understand legal options including obtaining restraining orders and military protective orders; making Restricted versus Unrestricted reports of sexual assault; and obtaining testimonial or transactional immunity regarding collateral misconduct before testifying against the accused in the case.
VLC will ensure that victims are informed of existing rights provided under the UCMJ, Military Rules of Evidence (M.R.E.), and Rules for Courts-Martial (R.C.M.), specifically, right to be present at military justice proceedings (M.R.E. 615 and R.C.M. 806); right to provide victim’s view to convening authority regarding initial disposition of an offense (R.C.M. 306); right not to be compelled to make statements or produce evidence when not material and tends to degrade the person (M.R.E. 303); right to attend and be heard regarding admissibility of prior sexual history or predisposition evidence in sexual assault cases (M.R.E. 412); psychotherapist-patient privilege (M.R.E. 513); victim advocate-victim privilege (M.R.E. 514); right to receive a copy of the Record of Trial when victim testified in case involving sexual assault (Article 54, UCMJ); and right to be heard through counsel in court-martial proceedings pursuant to LRM v. Kastenberg, 72 M.J. 364 (C.A.A.F. 2013).
VLC will represent victims of crime in the military justice process. Detailed VLC attend interviews of the victim by investigators, trial counsel, defense counsel, and others. They represent the interests of the victim in court by writing and arguing appropriate motions for relief and assist victims with post-trial matters.
VLC solely represent the interests of the victim, even where those interests may be different than the Government’s interest in prosecuting the accused in the case.
VLC will assist in matters where the Victim may have been in violation of rules and regulations such as underage drinking, out after curfew hours, adultery, out without liberty buddy, etc.
VLC will assist victim with submitting matters post-trial (known as clemency).
BACKGROUND
On 14 August 2013, the Secretary of Defense directed that each Service immediately implement a victim legal advocacy program to provide legal advice and representation to victims of sexual assault. The Secretary directed that each Service establish initial operating capability not later than 1 November 2013 and fully establish victim legal advocacy services by 1 January 2014.
The Marine Corps Victims' Legal Counsel Organization (VLCO) stood-up on 1 November 2013 with four regional VLCO offices aligned with each of the four Legal Services Support Sections (LSSS), LSSS-West, East, Pacific, and National Capital Region (NCR). Today there are VLCO offices at MCB Quantico, Camp Lejeune, MCRD Parris Island, MCAS Cherry Point, MCB Camp Pendleton, MCAGCC 29 Palms, MCAS Miramar, MCB Hawaii, and Camp Butler, Okinawa. Congress acknowledged a Special Victims' Counsel under 10 USC §1044e.
| Law Center Director |
760-830-5258 |
| Legal Services Chief |
760-830-5665 |
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