What the Air Force Tried in April 2022
Of 30 Air Force courts-martial in April 2022, 13 were contested. Only 2 of those 13 ended in a full acquittal (15%), compared with 45% for the Air Force in 2022. Sexual assault charges under Article 120 appeared in 21% of cases with a charge list, compared with 15% for the year.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Short answer: Of 30 Air Force courts-martial in April 2022, 13 were contested. Only 2 of those 13 ended in a full acquittal (15%), compared with 45% for the Air Force in 2022. Sexual assault charges under Article 120 appeared in 21% of cases with a charge list, compared with 15% for the year.
Few Full Acquittals
A contested case is one where the accused pleaded not guilty to at least one charge. The 13 contested cases in April 2022 included 2 full acquittals. That 15% rate is much lower than the 45% for the Air Force across 2022.
Another 5 contested cases ended in a partial acquittal: not guilty of at least one charge and guilty of another. Air Force results give one verdict per case, so a partial acquittal appears only when an appeals opinion reports it. The actual number may be higher.
Pleas Similar to the Year
There were 17 guilty pleas and 13 contested cases. The contested share was 43%, compared with 47% for the year. On this measure, April 2022 was similar to the rest of the year.
More Sexual Assault Charges, Fewer Drug Charges
Of the 30 records, 28 list charges, and each article is counted once per case. Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) appeared in 6 cases (21%), compared with 15% for the year. Article 128 (assault) also appeared in 6 (21%), about the same as the 23% for the year.
Drug charges under Article 112a appeared in 7 cases (25%), lower than the 33% for the year. Article 90 (willfully disobeying a superior officer), Article 107 (false official statements), and Article 82 (soliciting) appeared in 2 cases each. Each of those articles was in 7% of the charged cases, compared with 2%, 3%, and 1% for the year.
Article 92 (failure to obey an order or regulation) appeared in 5 cases (18%), and Article 134 (the general article) also appeared in 5 (18%). Both are about the same as their shares for the year, 17% and 20%.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the Air Force for all of 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 7 | 25% | 33% |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 6 | 21% | 15% |
| Art. 128 Assault | 6 | 21% | 23% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 5 | 18% | 17% |
| Art. 134 General article | 5 | 18% | 20% |
| Art. 90 Willfully disobeying superior officer | 2 | 7% | 2% |
| Art. 107 False official statements | 2 | 7% | 3% |
| Art. 82 Soliciting | 2 | 7% | 1% |
Almost Every Conviction Included Confinement
Confinement was part of 93% of the 28 convictions. The median confinement was 4 months, shorter than the 6 months for the Air Force in 2022. A quarter of sentences were 1.3 years or longer. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal.
Sentences over one year came in 9 of 28 convictions (32%), more often than the 28% for the year. Only 2 convictions (7%) included no confinement, compared with 10%.
Sentences under 6 months made up 50% of convictions, compared with 46% for the year. Sentences of 6 months to 1 year made up 11%, compared with 16%. Sentences of 1 year to under 5 years made up 25%, compared with 21%. Sentences of 5 years or more made up 7%, the same as for the year.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, the Air Force for all of 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 2 | 7% | 10% |
| Under 6 months | 14 | 50% | 46% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 3 | 11% | 16% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 7 | 25% | 21% |
| 5 years or more | 2 | 7% | 7% |
General and Special Courts-Martial
A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence. A special court-martial cannot exceed one year of confinement or impose a dishonorable discharge. The month had 20 general courts-martial, 67% of the cases.
At general courts-martial, 89% of convictions included confinement, with a median of 1.2 years. At the 10 special courts-martial, all convictions (100%) included confinement, with a median of 2 months.
Punitive Discharges Similar to the Year
A punitive discharge followed 58% of enlisted convictions, about the same as the 59% for the year. There were 8 dishonorable discharges and 7 bad-conduct discharges.
There were 2 convicted officers or warrant officers, and 1 was dismissed. A sentence with no punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
Who Decided Guilt
Members decided 27% of the cases: 5 enlisted panels and 3 officer panels. A military judge alone decided the other 22. Among contested cases, members heard 8 of 13 (62%). Most judge-alone cases are guilty pleas, so the split mostly follows how many cases were contested.
Compared With April 2021
April 2021 had 29 cases, and April 2022 had 30. The contested share was 62% and then 43%. Full acquittals were 5 of 18 contested cases with a verdict and then 2 of 13. The share of convictions with confinement was 71% and then 93%. The median confinement was 3 months and then 4 months. The enlisted punitive discharge rate was 43% and then 58%.
Monthly groups this small can change with a few cases, so these changes show direction, not precise size.
| April 2021 | April 2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 29 | 30 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 62% | 43% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 5 of 18 | 2 of 13 |
| Convictions with confinement | 71% | 93% |
| Median confinement | 3 months | 4 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 43% | 58% |
| General courts-martial | 69% | 67% |
Rank and Installations
Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 73% of the accused, NCOs 17%, and officers 10%. For the year, junior enlisted members made up 58%.
Travis AFB, California, and JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, each tried 3 cases. Minot AFB, North Dakota, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, and Nellis AFB, Nevada, each tried 2. These installations account for 40% of the month's cases.
What the Records Do Not Show
Only cases that reached a courtroom appear here. Nonjudicial punishment, administrative separation, and cases with no action are not included. The records do not show the evidence or plea terms. Air Force records rarely list charges in a full acquittal and never report plea agreements.
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 2022 (30 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)
- March 2022 at Air Force Courts-Martial: 32 Cases (previous / next)
- Air Force Courts-Martial, May 2022: The Month in Review (previous / next)
- Air Force Courts-Martial in 2022: Year in Review (the whole year)
- Air Force Courts-Martial, April 2018: The Month in Review
- 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
- 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.