> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.bodiesburied.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # August 2023 at Air Force Courts-Martial: 17 Cases - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial-august-2023/ - Published: 2026-10-30T08:08:48.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-30T08:08:48.000Z - Description: In August 2023, 12 of the Air Force's 17 courts-martial were contested (71%), compared with 53% for the Air Force in 2023. Of those 12 contested cases, 7 ended in a full acquittal (58%), about the same as the 56% for the year. - Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart - Tags: Understanding Trends, Air Force [Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [By Year](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-year/) › August 2023 **Short answer:** In August 2023, 12 of the Air Force's 17 courts-martial were contested (71%), compared with 53% for the Air Force in 2023\. Of those 12 contested cases, 7 ended in a full acquittal (58%), about the same as the 56% for the year. NCOs made up 53% of the accused, and 40% of convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge, against 58% for the year. Based on 17 cases · August 2023 · Air Force records · data updated October 24, 2026 ## Most Accused Pleaded Not Guilty A contested case is one where the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. In August 2023, 12 accused contested at least one charge and 5 pleaded guilty. The contested share of 71% was higher than the 53% for the year. ## 7 of 12 Contested Cases Ended in Full Acquittal Of the 12 contested cases that reached a verdict, 7 ended in a full acquittal, with the accused found not guilty of every charge. That 58% rate was about the same as the 56% for the Air Force in 2023. Air Force results give one verdict per case. A partial acquittal, meaning not guilty of at least one charge but guilty of another, shows up only when an appeals opinion reports it. ## Panels Decided 59% of Cases The accused usually chooses whether a military judge alone or a panel of members decides guilt. Members decided 59% of the month's cases: 7 enlisted panels and 3 officer panels. A military judge alone decided the other 7. Among the 12 contested cases, members heard 10 (83%). ## An Older Group in Rank NCOs (E-5 to E-9) made up 53% of the accused, junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) 29%, and officers 18%. Across the Air Force in 2023, junior enlisted members were 62% of the accused. General courts-martial were 10 of the 17 cases (59%), the same as the 59% for the year. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. ## Domestic Violence and Drug Charges The records list charges for 10 cases, and a case can count under more than one article. Article 128b (domestic violence) appeared in 3 cases (30%), compared with 14% for the year. Article 112a (wrongful use, possession of controlled substances) also appeared in 3 cases (30%), close to its 28% share for the year. Article 120 appeared in 2 cases (20%). Article 131b, Article 128, Article 104a, Article 82, and Article 107 appeared in 1 case each. | UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the Air Force for all of 2023 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | ---------- | ------------------------------------ | | [Art. 128b](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-128b-domestic-violence/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Domestic violence | 3 | 30% | 14% | | [Art. 112a](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-112a-drug-offenses/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 3 | 30% | 28% | | [Art. 120](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-120-sexual-assault/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Rape and sexual assault | 2 | 20% | 16% | | Art. 131b Obstructing justice | 1 | 10% | 3% | | [Art. 128](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-128/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Assault | 1 | 10% | 12% | | Art. 104a Fraudulent enlistment | 1 | 10% | 1% | | Art. 82 Soliciting | 1 | 10% | 1% | | [Art. 107](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-107/?ref=bodiesburied.com) False official statements | 1 | 10% | 5% | ## Sentences After Conviction Of 10 convictions, 8 included confinement. The median confinement was 4 months, about the same as the 5 months for the year, and a quarter of the terms were 9 months or longer. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Of 10 convicted enlisted members, 4 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (40%), less often than the 58% for the year. Of those 4, 1 was a dishonorable discharge. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation. ## Beyond the Trial Records Trial records show charges, pleas, findings, and sentences. They do not show the evidence, the plea terms, or conduct handled outside a court-martial. Air Force records rarely list charges in full acquittals and never report plea agreements. Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: [UCMJ change timeline](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/ucmj-change-timeline/). ### How We Counted Air Force courts-martial with a trial date in August 2023 (17 cases), compared with the whole year. Source: public court-martial records (Article 140a, UCMJ) in [Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/), data updated October 24, 2026\. Definitions, sources, and known gaps: [how this data was built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/how-the-military-trial-results-data-was-built/). Errors: content@bodiesburied.com. ## Related Analysis - [Air Force Courts-Martial: Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial/) (hub) - [By Year](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-year/) (hub) - [What the Air Force Tried in June 2023](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial-june-2023/) (previous / next) - [September 2023 at Air Force Courts-Martial: 16 Cases](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial-september-2023/) (previous / next) - [How 2023 Went at Air Force Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial-2023-year-in-review/) (the whole year) - [Air Force Courts-Martial, April 2018: The Month in Review](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial-april-2018/) - [Air Force Courts-Martial, April 2019: The Month in Review](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial-april-2019/) - [Air Force Courts-Martial, August 2018: The Month in Review](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial-august-2018/) - [Air Force Courts-Martial, August 2020: The Month in Review](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial-august-2020/) - [Search every case in Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/) (members) ← Previous: [What the Air Force Tried in June 2023](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial-june-2023/)Next: [September 2023 at Air Force Courts-Martial: 16 Cases](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial-september-2023/) → **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](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/?ref=bodiesburied.com). This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.