January 2025 at Air Force Courts-Martial: 17 Cases
The records show 17 Air Force courts-martial tried in January 2025. Article 128b (domestic violence) appeared in 35% of them, compared with 16% across the Air Force in 2025. The median confinement was 3 months, shorter than the 6-month median for the year.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 5 min read
Trends › By Year › January 2025
Short answer: The records show 17 Air Force courts-martial tried in January 2025. Article 128b (domestic violence) appeared in 35% of them, compared with 16% across the Air Force in 2025. The median confinement was 3 months, shorter than the 6-month median for the year.
Domestic Violence Charges Were More Common
All 17 records list the charges, and a case with several articles counts under each one. Article 128b (domestic violence) appeared in 6 cases, or 35%. Across the Air Force in 2025 the share was 16%.
Article 92 (failure to obey order or regulation) appeared in 4 cases (24%, compared with 17% for the year). Article 128 (assault) appeared in 3 (18%, compared with 12%).
Article 129 (burglary; unlawful entry), Article 115 (communicating threats), Article 120 (rape and sexual assault), Article 120b (rape and sexual assault of a child), and Article 85 (desertion) appeared in 2 cases each. Air Force records rarely list charges when a case ends in a full acquittal, so these shares mostly describe cases with a conviction.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the Air Force for all of 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 128b Domestic violence | 6 | 35% | 16% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 4 | 24% | 17% |
| Art. 128 Assault | 3 | 18% | 12% |
| Art. 129 Burglary; unlawful entry | 2 | 12% | 2% |
| Art. 115 Communicating threats | 2 | 12% | 2% |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 2 | 12% | 14% |
| Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child | 2 | 12% | 9% |
| Art. 85 Desertion | 2 | 12% | 2% |
Shorter Confinement Than the Year
15 cases ended with a conviction on at least one charge, and 14 of those sentences included confinement (93%). The median confinement was 3 months, compared with 6 months across the Air Force in 2025. A quarter of the confinement terms were 7 months or longer.
These are adjudged sentences. They cover every charge of conviction and come before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal.
Fewer Punitive Discharges
Among convicted enlisted members, 36% received a punitive discharge: 2 bad-conduct discharges and 3 dishonorable discharges. The Air Force rate for 2025 was 60%.
The month had 1 convicted officer or warrant officer, and 1 was dismissed. Dismissal is the officer equivalent of a punitive discharge. A sentence with no punitive discharge does not rule out an administrative separation later.
Rank and Court Level
13 accused were junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4), 3 were NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 1 was an officer or warrant officer. Across the Air Force in 2025, 60% of the accused were junior enlisted, so this month had a more junior group.
General courts-martial made up 41% of the cases (7 of 17). The others were special courts-martial, which are limited to one year of confinement and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.
Pleas, Verdicts, and Forum
12 of the 17 records list the plea. 6 accused pleaded guilty and 6 contested at least one charge with a not-guilty or mixed plea, a contested share of 50%. The Air Force figure for 2025 was 41%.
Of the 6 contested cases that reached a verdict, 2 ended in a full acquittal. A military judge alone decided 13 of 17 cases (76%). Members heard 4: 3 with enlisted panels and 1 with an officer panel.
January 2024 and January 2025
January 2024 had 21 cases and January 2025 had 17. The median confinement went from 10 months to 3 months. Punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members went from 67% to 36%, and the general court-martial share went from 62% to 41%.
The contested share went from 48% to 50%, and convictions with confinement went from 88% to 93%. Full acquittals in contested cases that reached a verdict went from 5 of 10 to 2 of 6. With groups this small, a few cases can move each figure, so these comparisons show direction only.
| January 2024 | January 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 21 | 17 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 48% | 50% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 5 of 10 | 2 of 6 |
| Convictions with confinement | 88% | 93% |
| Median confinement | 10 months | 3 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 67% | 36% |
| General courts-martial | 62% | 41% |
Rules in Effect and Limits of the Records
Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel, not commanders, decide whether to prosecute covered offenses such as sexual assault, domestic violence, and murder. When every guilty finding is for an offense after December 27, 2023, the military judge sets the sentence under new sentencing parameters. The records give trial dates only, so January 2025 trials can include cases under either set of rules.
The records do not describe the evidence or the plea terms, and they do not include nonjudicial punishment or administrative separations. Air Force records 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 January 2025 (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 December 2024 (previous / next)
- What the Air Force Tried in February 2025 (previous / next)
- How 2025 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.