Air Force Courts-Martial, April 2018: The Month in Review
The Air Force tried 37 courts-martial in April 2018. The median confinement was 6 months, longer than the 4 months for all of 2018. False official statements under Article 107 were charged in 17% of cases with a charge list, compared with 7% for the year.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Short answer: The Air Force tried 37 courts-martial in April 2018. The median confinement was 6 months, longer than the 4 months for all of 2018. False official statements under Article 107 were charged in 17% of cases with a charge list, compared with 7% for the year.
More False Statement and Child Offense Charges
Of the 37 records, 30 list the charges. A case with several articles is counted under each one. Drug offenses under Article 112a were the most common, with 14 cases. That 47% share was the same as for the year.
Article 107 (false official statement) appeared in 5 cases (17%), compared with 7% for the Air Force in 2018. Article 120b (rape and sexual assault of a child) appeared in 6 (20%), compared with 12%. Article 92 (failure to obey an order or regulation) appeared in 7 (23%), compared with 15%. Article 134 (the general article) was less common: 13% here, compared with 27% for the year.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the Air Force for all of 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 14 | 47% | 47% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 7 | 23% | 15% |
| Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child | 6 | 20% | 12% |
| Art. 107 False official statements | 5 | 17% | 7% |
| Art. 134 General article | 4 | 13% | 27% |
| Art. 128 Assault | 3 | 10% | 10% |
| Art. 121 Larceny | 2 | 7% | 5% |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 2 | 7% | 12% |
Longer Sentences Than the Year Overall
There were 30 convictions, and 26 of them (87%) included confinement. The median confinement was 6 months, higher than the median of 4 months for the year. A quarter of sentences were 1.2 years or longer. Of those sentences, 1 was a life sentence.
These are adjudged sentences, set at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each sentence covers all the charges in its case.
Sentences by Court Level
A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence. A special court-martial is limited to one year of confinement and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. April 2018 had 19 general courts-martial, 51% of the month's cases, compared with 50% for the year.
At general courts-martial, 93% of convictions included confinement, with a median of 1.2 years. At the 18 special courts-martial, 81% did, with a median of 45 days. Overall, sentences over one year came in 7 of 30 convictions (23%), about the same as the 20% for the year.
No confinement was imposed in 13% of convictions, compared with 18% for the year. Sentences under 6 months made up 40%, compared with 48%. Sentences of 6 months to 1 year made up 23%, compared with 13%. Sentences of 5 years or more came in 3 convictions (10%), compared with 8%.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, the Air Force for all of 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 4 | 13% | 18% |
| Under 6 months | 12 | 40% | 48% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 7 | 23% | 13% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 4 | 13% | 12% |
| 5 years or more | 3 | 10% | 8% |
More Dishonorable Than Bad-Conduct Discharges
A punitive discharge followed 63% of enlisted convictions, compared with 58% for the Air Force in 2018. Of those discharges, 11 were dishonorable and 8 were bad-conduct.
A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation. Administrative separations do not appear in these records.
Full Acquittals Across All Cases
In 7 of the 37 cases, the accused was acquitted of all charges. That is a rate of 19%, compared with 22% across 2018. Air Force records from this period rarely list a guilty plea, so this rate is measured against all cases, not only contested cases.
Members Heard 46% of Cases
The accused usually chooses whether a military judge alone or a panel of members decides guilt. A military judge alone heard 20 cases, enlisted panels 9, and officer panels 8. Members heard 46% of the cases, about the same as the 48% for the year.
The numbers of enlisted and officer panels were about the same. An enlisted accused can ask for enlisted members to sit on the panel. Otherwise, the panel is made up of officers.
Changes Since April 2017
April 2017 had 31 cases, and April 2018 had 37. The median confinement was 10 months in April 2017 and 6 months in April 2018. The share of convictions with confinement was 73% and then 87%. The enlisted punitive discharge rate was 55% and then 63%. The general court-martial share was 65% and then 51%.
In monthly groups this small, a few cases can change these numbers. The comparison shows direction, not precise size.
| April 2017 | April 2018 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 31 | 37 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | — | — |
| Convictions with confinement | 73% | 87% |
| Median confinement | 10 months | 6 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 55% | 63% |
| General courts-martial | 65% | 51% |
Mostly Junior Enlisted, No Officers
Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 73% of the accused, and NCOs made up 27%. No officers were tried this month. For the full year, junior enlisted members made up 63%.
Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, tried 4 cases, and Cannon AFB, New Mexico, tried 3. Nellis AFB, Nevada, Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina, and JB Andrews, Maryland, each tried 2. Those installations account for 35% of the month's cases. Larger installations try more cases of every type, so a high count says little about any one installation.
Limits of These Records
These trials came before the Military Justice Act of 2016 took effect on January 1, 2019. The records do not include the evidence or plea terms. They rarely list charges in a full acquittal and never report plea agreements. Cases closed through nonjudicial punishment, administrative separation, or no action are not included.
Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Air Force courts-martial with a trial date in April 2018 (37 cases), compared with the whole year.
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
- Air Force Courts-Martial: Data and Trends (hub)
- By Year (hub)
- Air Force Courts-Martial, March 2018: The Month in Review (previous / next)
- What the Air Force Tried in May 2018 (previous / next)
- Air Force Courts-Martial in 2018: Year in Review (the whole year)
- Air Force Courts-Martial, April 2019: The Month in Review
- Air Force Courts-Martial, August 2018: The Month in Review
- Air Force Courts-Martial, August 2020: The Month in Review
- Air Force Courts-Martial, August 2022: The Month in Review
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
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.