Army Article 120 Cases in 2022

Trends › By Offense › Article 120 › Army, 2022

Based on 125 cases · 2022 · Army records · data updated October 24, 2026

Full Acquittals in 42% of Contested Cases

Of the 89 contested cases that reached a verdict, 37 ended in a full acquittal, meaning not guilty on every charge. That 42% rate was higher than the 38% for all Army cases in 2022. Another 44 contested cases ended in a partial acquittal, with the accused acquitted of some charges and convicted of others.

Army results record findings charge by charge, so partial acquittals are common. A partial acquittal still results in a sentence for the charges proved.

Full Acquittals by Members and by Military Judges

The accused usually chooses whether a military judge alone or a panel of members decides guilt. Here a judge alone heard 68 cases, enlisted panels 52, and officer panels 5. Members heard 46% of the cases, compared with 20% for all Army cases in 2022. They heard 56 of 89 contested cases (63%).

Of contested cases decided by members, 28 of 56 ended in a full acquittal (50%). Of contested judge-alone cases, 9 of 33 did (27%). The accused chooses the forum, so the groups include different kinds of cases. The records cannot show why the rates are different.

Pleas and Agreements

There were 89 contested cases, those with a not-guilty or mixed plea, and 36 guilty pleas. Of the 36 guilty pleas, 28 are recorded with a plea agreement and 8 have no entry. Army records do not say what the agreements provided.

The guilty pleas affect the sentence figures. Most judge-alone cases are guilty pleas, and a plea agreement, when there is one, may cap the confinement actually served below the adjudged term. Neither the cap nor its effect appears in these records.

Length of Confinement

Of 88 cases ending in a conviction on at least one charge, 77 included confinement (88%). The median was 1.5 years, and a quarter of the terms were 3 years or longer.

Terms over one year were given in 46 of 88 convictions (52%), compared with 27% for all Army cases in 2022. Terms of 5 years or more were given in 13 convictions (15%), compared with 7%. Terms under 6 months were given in 19 convictions (22%), compared with 41% Army-wide.

These are adjudged sentences, set at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal, and they cover every charge in the case.

Changes Since 2021

The number of cases fell from 156 in 2021 to 125 in 2022. The median confinement went from 2 years to 1.5 years. Convictions with confinement rose from 83% to 88%. Full acquittals in contested cases that reached a verdict went from 45 of 115 to 37 of 89.

Other measures were about the same. The contested share went from 74% to 71%, enlisted punitive discharges from 76% to 77%, and general courts-martial from 93% to 96%. A few cases can change any of these figures, so they show direction, not exact size.

Discharges and Dismissals

Of 83 convicted enlisted members, 64 received a punitive discharge: 46 dishonorable and 18 bad-conduct. The share for all Army cases in 2022 was 76%. A punitive discharge is part of the sentence itself. An administrative separation, which these records do not track, can still follow a sentence without one.

Of 5 convicted officers or warrant officers, 3 were dismissed.

Only a general court-martial can adjudge a dishonorable discharge. In this group, dishonorable discharges were more common than bad-conduct discharges, and nearly all cases were general courts-martial.

Court Level and Other Charges

General courts-martial, the level that can impose long confinement and a dishonorable discharge, heard 96% of these cases (120 of 125). Special courts-martial, which are limited to one year of confinement, heard the rest.

Of the 125 cases, 77 charged at least one other article. Article 128 (assault) appeared in 31, Article 134 (general article) and Article 92 (orders violation) in 17 each, Article 107 (false official statement) in 13, and Article 93 (maltreatment) in 9.

Rank and Installation

Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 58% of the accused, NCOs 35%, and officers 6%. The junior enlisted share was about the same as the Army-wide share of 57%.

Camp Humphreys tried 16 of these cases, Fort Bragg 14, Fort Hood 12, Joint Base Lewis-McChord 10, and Fort Campbell 9. Together they tried 49% of the 125. Larger installations try more cases of every kind.

What the Records Do Not Show

The records give trial dates, not offense dates, and they do not describe the evidence, the plea terms, or allegations handled by nonjudicial punishment, administrative separation, or no action.

For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 120 on the law firm's website. Dates and sources for the law changes: UCMJ change timeline.

Compare: federal court. Sexual Abuse of an Adult: 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.