Drug at Army Courts-Martial, 2025: The Year in Numbers
The Army records hold 13 courts-martial from 2025 that charged Article 112a (drug), down from 37 in 2024. 12 of the 13 accused pleaded guilty, and a punitive discharge followed 91% of enlisted convictions, against 73% for all Army cases in 2025.
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Trends › By Offense › Article 112a › Army, 2025
Short answer: The Army records hold 13 courts-martial from 2025 that charged Article 112a (drug), down from 37 in 2024. 12 of the 13 accused pleaded guilty, and a punitive discharge followed 91% of enlisted convictions, against 73% for all Army cases in 2025. The median confinement was 3 months, shorter than the 8 months Army-wide.
Punitive Discharges in Most Enlisted Convictions
A punitive discharge followed 91% of enlisted convictions in these cases: 8 bad-conduct discharges and 2 dishonorable discharges. For all Army cases in 2025, the share was 73%. In 2024, the share for Article 112a cases was 87%.
2 convicted officers or warrant officers appear here, and 2 were dismissed. A dismissal is the officer equivalent of a punitive discharge. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
Short Terms of Confinement
Confinement was part of 85% of the 13 convictions. Half of those terms were 3 months or less, while the median for all Army cases in 2025 was 8 months. Among the sentences that included confinement, a quarter were 7 months or longer.
These are adjudged sentences, set at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each covers every charge in the case.
Nearly Every Case Was a Guilty Plea
Contested cases made up 8% of those with a plea recorded: 1 not-guilty or mixed plea and 12 guilty pleas. For all Army cases in 2025, the contested share was 20%. A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge.
All 12 guilty pleas are recorded with a plea agreement. Army records say whether there was an agreement, not what it said.
Compared With 2024
The number of cases went from 37 in 2024 to 13 in 2025. The contested share held at 8%. The median confinement went from 6 months to 3 months, and the share of convictions with confinement went from 91% to 85%.
General courts-martial went from 68% of cases to 46%. Small groups can change with a few cases either way, so these changes show direction, not precision.
| 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 37 | 13 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 8% | 8% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 2 of 3 | 0 of 1 |
| Convictions with confinement | 91% | 85% |
| Median confinement | 6 months | 3 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 87% | 91% |
| General courts-martial | 68% | 46% |
Court Level and Rank
6 of the 13 cases were general courts-martial (46%), compared with 66% for all Army cases in 2025. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.
7 accused were junior enlisted (E-1 to E-4), 4 were NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 2 were officers or warrant officers. That mix is more junior than all Army cases in 2025, where 50% were junior enlisted.
Companion Charges and Forum
3 of the 13 cases charged Article 112a by itself. Article 92 (orders violation) appeared in 5 cases and Article 81 (conspiracy) in 3. Article 134 (general article) and Article 128 (assault) each appeared in 2, and Article 115 (communicating threats) in 1.
A military judge alone decided 12 cases. An enlisted panel heard 1, which is 8% of the cases with the forum listed.
New Rules in Effect
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 in a case is for an offense after December 27, 2023, the military judge sets the sentence within new sentencing parameters. Both rules turn on the offense date, which these records do not give, so 2025 trials may include cases under either set of rules.
What the Records Cannot Tell You
The records give trial dates, not offense dates. They do not describe the evidence or the plea terms, and they do not show cases handled by nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation.
For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 112a on the law firm's website. Dates and sources for the law changes: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Army courts-martial with a trial date in 2025 that charged Article 112a (13 cases), compared with all Army cases that year and with 2024.
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
- Article 112a (Wrongful Use, Possession of Controlled Substances): Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Year (hub)
- How Army Drug Cases Ended in 2024 (previous / next)
- Army Article 112a Cases by the Numbers, 2021–2025 (the full trend)
- Army Article 112a Cases in 2021
- Army Article 112a Cases in 2023
- How Army Drug Cases Ended in 2022
- Air Force Article 112a Cases in 2017
- What Sentence Follows an Army Drug Conviction?
- S3 E52: What You Need to Know About Positive UAs in the Military (podcast, members)
- Article 112a explained on the law firm's website
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Compare: federal court. Drug Use: Federal Sentences vs. Army Courts-Martial · Drug Distribution: Federal Sentences vs. Army Courts-Martial
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.