August 2023 at Air Force Courts-Martial: 17 Cases
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.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 4 min read
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.
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 Domestic violence | 3 | 30% | 14% |
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 3 | 30% | 28% |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 2 | 20% | 16% |
| Art. 131b Obstructing justice | 1 | 10% | 3% |
| Art. 128 Assault | 1 | 10% | 12% |
| Art. 104a Fraudulent enlistment | 1 | 10% | 1% |
| Art. 82 Soliciting | 1 | 10% | 1% |
| Art. 107 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.
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, 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)
- What the Air Force Tried in June 2023 (previous / next)
- September 2023 at Air Force Courts-Martial: 16 Cases (previous / next)
- How 2023 Went at Air Force Courts-Martial (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.