How Air Force Sexual Assault Cases Ended in 2020
Of the 13 Air Force courts-martial in 2020 that charged Article 120 (sexual assault), 92% of those with a plea recorded were contested, compared with 48% of all Air Force cases that year. The median confinement was 1.5 years, compared with 4 months.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 5 min read
Trends › By Offense › Article 120 › Air Force, 2020
Short answer: Of the 13 Air Force courts-martial in 2020 that charged Article 120 (sexual assault), 92% of those with a plea recorded were contested, compared with 48% of all Air Force cases that year. The median confinement was 1.5 years, compared with 4 months. 67% of convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge, compared with 50%.
Nearly Every Accused Pleaded Not Guilty
A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge, through a not-guilty plea or a mixed plea. 12 of the 13 records list the plea. 11 of those cases were contested and 1 was a guilty plea.
The contested share was 92%. Across all Air Force cases in 2020, it was 48%.
Partial Acquittals in Contested Cases
8 of the 11 contested cases (73%) ended in a partial acquittal. In each of those, the accused was found not guilty of at least one charge or specification and guilty of another.
Air Force records rarely list the charges in a case that ends in a full acquittal. Cases that ended that way may be missing from these 13, so this page does not give a full acquittal rate.
Who Decided Guilt?
A military judge alone decided 7 cases. Members decided the rest, 46% of the cases with the forum listed, with 3 enlisted panels and 3 officer panels. Among the contested cases, members heard 6 of 11 (55%).
Confinement Was Shorter Than in 2019
11 of the 13 sentences included confinement. The median confinement was 1.5 years, compared with 3 years in 2019. The median for all Air Force cases in 2020 was 4 months. Among the sentences with confinement, a quarter were 7 years or longer.
These are adjudged sentences: the punishment set at trial, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. They include every charge in the case.
2019 and 2020 Side by Side
The records hold 21 cases in 2019 and 13 in 2020. Convictions with confinement were 71% in 2019 and 85% in 2020. Punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members were 78% and 67%. General courts-martial were 95% and 85%.
A group of 13 cases is small. A few sentences can change a median or a percentage, so the year-to-year changes are a rough guide only.
| 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 21 | 13 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | — | 92% |
| Convictions with confinement | 71% | 85% |
| Median confinement | 3 years | 1.5 years |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 78% | 67% |
| General courts-martial | 95% | 85% |
Punitive Discharges
8 of the 12 convicted enlisted members (67%) received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge, compared with 50% across the Air Force in 2020. 7 of the 8 were dishonorable. The 1 convicted officer or warrant officer was dismissed. Without a punitive discharge, a member can still be separated later by administrative action.
Rank, Court Level, and Other Charges
The accused were 8 junior enlisted members, 4 NCOs, and 1 officer, a more senior group than all Air Force cases in 2020. 11 of the 13 cases were general courts-martial (85%), compared with 51% Air Force-wide. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.
Article 120 was the only charge in 6 cases. Article 134 (general article) was added in 4, and Article 128 (assault) and Article 120b (child sexual abuse) in 2 each. Article 129 (burglary before 2019; burglary and unlawful entry since) and Article 92 (orders violation) were each added in 1.
Limits of the Records
The records show charges, pleas, findings, and sentences. They do not show the evidence, the terms of any plea agreement, or the date of the offense. Cases handled outside a court-martial are not included.
For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 120 on the law firm's website. Dates and sources for the law changes: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Air Force courts-martial with a trial date in 2020 that charged Article 120 (13 cases), compared with all Air Force cases that year and with 2019.
Source: public court-martial records (Article 140a, UCMJ) in Military Trial Results, data updated October 24, 2026. Definitions, sources, and known gaps: how this data was built. Errors: content@bodiesburied.com.
Related Analysis
- Article 120 (Rape and Sexual Assault): Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Year (hub)
- Air Force Article 120 Cases in 2019 (previous / next)
- Sexual Assault at Air Force Courts-Martial, 2021: The Year in Numbers (previous / next)
- Is Air Force Sexual Assault Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 120, 2016–2025 (the full trend)
- Air Force Article 120 Cases in 2018
- Air Force Article 120 Cases in 2022
- Air Force Article 120 Cases in 2023
- How Much Confinement for an Article 120 Conviction in the Air Force?
- S2 E1: Article 120 Dismissal & the Aftermath (podcast, members)
- Article 120 explained on the law firm's website
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Compare: federal court. Sexual Abuse of an Adult: Federal Sentences vs. Air Force Courts-Martial, 2016–2025
About the author. Jocelyn C. Stewart is a retired Army JAG with more than 24 years of trying courts-martial and more than 200 jury trials. She hosts Where All The Bodies Are Buried and runs the Law Office of Jocelyn C. Stewart. This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.