How Often Are Contested Army Article 112a Cases Acquitted?
Of 31 contested Army drug cases under Article 112a tried in 2021–2025, 35% ended in a full acquittal, about the same as the 38% across all contested Army cases. Of convicted enlisted members, 81% received a punitive discharge, compared with 64% in all contested Army cases.
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Short answer: Of 31 contested Army drug cases under Article 112a tried in 2021–2025, 35% ended in a full acquittal, about the same as the 38% across all contested Army cases. Of convicted enlisted members, 81% received a punitive discharge, compared with 64% in all contested Army cases. The median confinement was 1.1 years, shorter than the 1.5 years across contested Army cases.
A Small Number of Cases That Fell Each Year After 2022
Only 31 Army courts-martial in these records involved a contested Article 112a drug charge between January 2021 and May 2025. There were 8 in 2021 and 13 in 2022. The count then fell to 6 in 2023, 3 in 2024, and 1 in 2025.
A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. Every case here is contested: there were 0 guilty pleas. This page describes only drug cases that went to trial on the merits. With so few cases, a single verdict changes the percentages. The yearly figures do not show why the count fell.
Full Acquittals at About the Army Rate
A full acquittal means a finding of not guilty on every charge. Of the 31 contested cases that reached a verdict, 35% ended in a full acquittal. That is about the same as the 38% for all contested Army cases in the same years.
Another 16 cases ended in a partial acquittal: not guilty of at least one charge or specification, yet guilty of another. Army results list findings charge by charge, which makes partial acquittals common in Army data. A partial acquittal still means a conviction and a sentence.
Full Acquittals by Panels and by Military Judges
The largest difference on this page is by forum. Members acquitted the accused of all charges in 9 of 17 contested cases (53%). A military judge alone did so in 1 of 13 (8%). These 30 cases are the contested cases that reached a verdict and have the forum listed.
Members heard 17 of those 30 cases (57%), 11 with enlisted panels and 6 with officer panels, and a judge alone decided the other 13 (43%). The accused usually chooses the forum, so the cases in each group are different from the start. The difference does not measure how each decision-maker weighs evidence.
Discharges After a Drug Conviction
Among 16 convicted enlisted members, 13 received a punitive discharge: 5 bad-conduct and 8 dishonorable. That 81% share is higher than the 64% in all contested Army cases.
Officers and warrant officers are also included. Of 4 who were convicted, 2 were dismissed. A dismissal is the officer equivalent of a punitive discharge. A sentence without a punitive discharge can still be followed by an administrative separation, which these records do not track.
How Much Confinement Followed
In all, 20 cases ended in a conviction on at least one charge, and 14 of those sentences included confinement (70%). The median term was 1.1 years, shorter than the 1.5 years median in all contested Army cases.
By band, 6 convictions included no confinement (30%), and 2 included less than 6 months. Terms of 6 months to 1 year were given in 5 convictions (25%, compared with 9% Army-wide). Terms over one year were given in 7 of 20 convictions (35%), less often than the 44% for contested Army cases overall. Terms of 5 years or more were given in 3 convictions (15%), the same share as the Army comparison. These figures are adjudged sentences, set at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, all contested Army cases in those years |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 6 | 30% | 25% |
| Under 6 months | 2 | 10% | 22% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 5 | 25% | 9% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 4 | 20% | 28% |
| 5 years or more | 3 | 15% | 15% |
Most Cases Included Other Charges
Article 112a was the only charge in 10 of 31 cases. The other cases also charged Article 128 (assault) in 10, Article 134 (general article) in 9, Article 120 (sexual assault) in 8, Article 92 (orders violation) in 7, and Article 81 (conspiracy) in 4.
A sentence covers every charge in a case. A long term on this page may be for a sexual assault or assault conviction as well as the drug charge. The records do not separate the punishment by charge.
Court Level, Rank, and Location
General courts-martial handled 21 cases, with a median confinement of 1.1 years, and special courts-martial handled 10. The general share, 68%, is lower than the 85% across contested Army cases. A special court-martial is limited to one year of confinement and cannot adjudge a dishonorable discharge. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence.
The accused were 15 junior enlisted members, 10 NCOs, and 6 officers. That group was more junior than contested Army cases overall. Fort Bragg and Fort Hood had 6 cases each. Fort Carson, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and Fort Stewart had 3 each. Together they had 68% of the total. Larger installations try more cases of every type.
Rule Changes and What the Records Omit
Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel rather than commanders decide whether to prosecute covered offenses such as sexual assault, domestic violence, and murder. For offenses after December 27, 2023, the military judge sets the sentence under new sentencing parameters. Both rules depend on the offense date, which these records omit. Trials from 2024 on include cases under both the old and new rules.
The records also do not include drug cases handled through nonjudicial punishment, administrative separation, or no action at all. They do not describe the evidence or the terms of any plea.
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 tried 2021–2025: where the accused contested a charge under Article 112a (drug) (31 cases), compared with all contested Army cases in those years.
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 Offense (hub)
- Army Article 112a Cases by the Numbers, 2021–2025
- What Sentence Follows an Army Drug Conviction?
- Guilty Pleas in Army Drug Cases: How Often, and What Came Next
- Fighting a Navy-Marine Corps Drug Charge: How Contested Cases Ended (another service)
- Fighting an Army Child Endangerment Charge: How Contested Cases Ended
- Fighting an Army Communicating Threats Charge: How Contested Cases Ended
- 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.