Douglas Cody graduated from Villanova University in 1992, and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corp. He served on active duty in a variety of assignments as a Marine Infantry Officer until 1995, when he was selected for the Marine Corps Funded Law Education Program. Mr. Cody attended Rutgers School of Law and graduated with honors in 1998.
Mr. Cody served as a Federal prosecutor and trial defense counsel in all types of major felony criminal cases. Additionally, while serving in the military law branch in the Pentagon, he was responsible for providing legal advice to Commandant of the Marine Corps, Department of Defense Office of General Counsel, and Office of the Secretary of Defense in matters of military law pertaining to the conduct of the Global War on Terror.
Professional Experience and Representative Cases:
Military Justice and Criminal Law
- Personally prosecuted over 200 felony criminal cases and innumerable misdemeanors.
- Successfully litigated dozens of contested Federal jury trials and bench trials involving charges of manslaughter, rape and sexual assault, child rape, molestation and abuse, maiming and aggravated assault, larceny, conspiracy, and felony drug possession and trafficking.
- As Chief Trial Counsel for Marine Corps Base, Quantico, Virginia, supervised several junior prosecuting attorneys.
- Defended scores of Marines charged with grave felonies before courts-martial and achieved, over a period of years, a rate of dismissal or acquittal of over 80 percent.
- Reviewed Naval Criminal Investigative Service reports of investigation for matters of interest and concern to various Government agencies.
- Monitored all high visibility investigations, courts-martial, and adverse administrative proceedings, and provided appropriate legal advice to the Commandant of the Marine Corps and Secretary of the Navy on same.
- Since 2004, defended nearly one hundred private clients charged with a variety of crimes and offenses under the New Jersey criminal code.
- As the public defender for Mullica Township, New Jersey, represented dozens of indigent defendants in the municipal court charged with offenses including motor vehicle violations, drunk-driving, domestic violence, drug offenses and violent assaults.
Civil, Administrative and Employment Law
- Served as Government counsel in numerous administrative hearings concerning the involuntary separation of members from the Armed Forces for misconduct and substandard performance of duty, and represented dozens of service members before such hearings.
- Investigated and prepared replies to special interest and Congressional correspondence concerning formal administrative investigations and adverse administrative personnel actions.
- Administered officer misconduct cases including evaluation of reports of misconduct; providing legal review and recommendations regarding appropriate case disposition; monitoring criminal and administrative proceedings involving Marine Corps officers; and preparing documents to effect delays of promotion, removal from promotion lists, revocation of appointments, convening of administrative separation boards, and officer resignations.
- Formulated advisory opinions and made legal recommendations to the Board for Correction of Naval Records regarding individual petitions alleging error or injustice in official administrative records.
- Provided legal review of Defense Department policies, directives, procedures, letters of instruction, memoranda of understanding, and inter-service support agreements concerning military law and related matters.
- On behalf of a private company, prepared and negotiated a commercial lease of the Salem Terminal Facilities with the South Jersey Port Corporation.
Represented employee in class action lawsuit under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 and New Jersey Wage and Hour Law. - Successfully represented a New Jersey corporation in its challenge of the award of a municipal demolition project under the Local Public Contract Law of the State of New Jersey.
- Effectively represented a New Jersey plaintiff in lawsuit alleging common law and consumer fraud in a dispute over the sale and transfer of real property.
- Achieved dismissal of all charges on behalf of New Jersey local elected officials wrongfully accused of bribery by political opponents.
- Profitably advocated the interests of a beneficiary in a dispute with the trust division of a national bank over the management of real property and handling of environmental hazards.
- Negotiated a particularly favorable settlement on behalf of a New Jersey trucking corporation sued by a national banking institution for liability upon the commercial loan of a predecessor company.
- Handled dozens of matrimonial actions that presented the full panoply of family law issues including cause of action, custody of children, child and spousal support, equitable distribution of property and domestic violence.
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