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# Air Force Courts-Martial, May 2022: The Month in Review
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial-may-2022/
- Published: 2026-10-28T08:13:01.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-30T05:19:58.000Z
- Description: The Air Force tried 32 courts-martial in May 2022. Rape and sexual assault charges under Article 120 appeared in 27% of cases with a charge list, compared with 15% for the Air Force in all of 2022.
- Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart
- Tags: Understanding Trends, Air Force

[Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [By Year](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-year/) › May 2022

**Short answer:** The Air Force tried 32 courts-martial in May 2022\. Rape and sexual assault charges under Article 120 appeared in 27% of cases with a charge list, compared with 15% for the Air Force in all of 2022\. Of 18 contested cases that reached a verdict, 6 ended in a full acquittal (33%), lower than the 45% for the year.

Based on 32 cases · May 2022 · Air Force records · data updated October 24, 2026

## Sexual Assault Charges Were More Common Than for the Year

Of the 32 cases, 26 have a charge list, and each article is counted once in a case that names it. Article 120, rape and sexual assault, appeared in 7 of those cases. That share of 27% is higher than the 15% for the Air Force over the whole year.

Article 134, the general article, also appeared in 7 cases (27%), compared with 20% for the year. Drug charges under Article 112a appeared in 8 (31%), close to the 33% for 2022\. Assault under Article 128 appeared in 6 (23%), the same as the year.

Article 92 appeared in 5 cases (19%). Article 120b and Article 128b, domestic violence, each appeared in 2 (8%). Domestic violence was charged in 4% of cases across the service. Article 131b, obstructing justice, appeared once.

| UCMJ Article                                                                                                                                       | Cases | Share here | Share, the Air Force for all of 2022 |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | ---------- | ------------------------------------ |
| [Art. 112a](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-112a-drug-offenses/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 8     | 31%        | 33%                                  |
| [Art. 120](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-120-sexual-assault/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Rape and sexual assault                            | 7     | 27%        | 15%                                  |
| [Art. 134](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-134/?ref=bodiesburied.com) General article                           | 7     | 27%        | 20%                                  |
| [Art. 128](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-128/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Assault                                   | 6     | 23%        | 23%                                  |
| [Art. 92](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-92/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Failure to obey order or regulation         | 5     | 19%        | 17%                                  |
| [Art. 120b](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-120b/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Rape and sexual assault of a child      | 2     | 8%         | 6%                                   |
| [Art. 128b](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-128b-domestic-violence/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Domestic violence                             | 2     | 8%         | 4%                                   |
| Art. 131b Obstructing justice                                                                                                                      | 1     | 4%         | 3%                                   |

## Most Contested Cases Ended in at Least One Conviction

A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. This month, 18 cases were contested and 14 accused pleaded guilty. The contested share was 56%, compared with 47% for the year.

Of the 18 contested cases that reached a verdict, 6 ended in full acquittal (33%), lower than the 45% service-wide. Another 7 were partial acquittals: not guilty of some charges and guilty of others. Air Force results report one verdict per case, so a partial acquittal shows only when an appeals opinion reports it.

## Panels Decided Half the Cases

The accused usually decides whether a military judge alone or a panel of members determines guilt. Judges alone decided 16 cases, while enlisted panels and officer panels decided 8 each. Members decided 50% of cases, compared with 32% for the Air Force in 2022.

Members decided 16 of the 18 contested cases (89%). Most judge-alone cases are guilty pleas, so the forum split mostly follows how many cases were contested. This month had a higher contested share than the year.

## Many Convictions Without Confinement

Confinement was part of 77% of the 26 convictions. No confinement was part of 6 convictions (23%), compared with 10% across the Air Force. The median confinement was 5 months, slightly lower than the 6 months for the year.

A quarter of terms were 3 years or more. Terms of more than one year were part of 8 of 26 convictions (31%), about the same as the 28% for 2022\. Of those, 2 were 5 years or more.

These are adjudged sentences for all charges in a case, before any clemency, appeal, or plea-agreement cap.

| Adjudged confinement            | Convictions | Share here | Share, the Air Force for all of 2022 |
| ------------------------------- | ----------- | ---------- | ------------------------------------ |
| No confinement                  | 6           | 23%        | 10%                                  |
| Under 6 months                  | 10          | 38%        | 46%                                  |
| 6 months to 1 year              | 2           | 8%         | 16%                                  |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 6           | 23%        | 21%                                  |
| 5 years or more                 | 2           | 8%         | 7%                                   |

## General and Special Courts-Martial

General and special courts-martial each heard 16 cases, a general court-martial share of 50%, compared with 57% for the year. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, while a special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot adjudge a dishonorable discharge.

At general courts-martial, the median confinement was 2.5 years, and 75% of cases were contested. At special courts-martial, the median was 3 months, and 38% were contested.

## Dishonorable Discharges Outnumbered Bad-Conduct

A punitive discharge was part of 50% of enlisted convictions, compared with 59% for the Air Force in 2022\. Of those discharges, 8 were dishonorable and 4 were bad-conduct.

Of 2 convicted officers or warrant officers, 1 was dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.

## A More Senior Group of Accused

The accused were 15 NCOs (E-5 to E-9), 14 junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4), and 3 officers or warrant officers. That mix is more senior than the Air Force overall, where 58% were junior enlisted.

Scott AFB, Illinois, tried 3 cases. Ramstein AB, Germany, MacDill AFB, Florida, and Hill AFB, Utah, tried 2 each, and Ft Meade, Maryland, tried 1\. Together they accounted for 31% of the month's cases. Larger installations try more cases of every kind.

## Compared With May 2021

May 2021 had 30 cases; May 2022 had 32\. The contested share went from 53% to 56%. Full acquittals in contested cases that reached a verdict went from 9 of 16 to 6 of 18\. Median confinement was 5 months in both months. Punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members went from 60% to 50%. Convictions with confinement went from 81% to 77%. Monthly groups are small, so these changes show direction more than size.

|                                     | May 2021 | May 2022 |
| ----------------------------------- | -------- | -------- |
| Cases                               | 30       | 32       |
| Contested (of pleas recorded)       | 53%      | 56%      |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 9 of 16  | 6 of 18  |
| Convictions with confinement        | 81%      | 77%      |
| Median confinement                  | 5 months | 5 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted)       | 60%      | 50%      |
| General courts-martial              | 47%      | 50%      |

## Missing From the Data

The records cover only cases that reached a courtroom. They do not include nonjudicial punishment, administrative separations, offense dates, evidence, or plea terms. Air Force records also rarely list charges when a case ends in a full acquittal and never report plea agreements. The charge shares above therefore come mostly from cases with at least one conviction.

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 May 2022 (32 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 April 2022](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial-april-2022/) (previous / next)
- [Air Force Courts-Martial, June 2022: The Month in Review](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial-june-2022/) (previous / next)
- [Air Force Courts-Martial in 2022: Year in Review](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial-2022-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)

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**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.