Army Article 120 Cases in 2024

Trends › By Offense › Article 120 › Army, 2024

Based on 69 cases · 2024 · Army records · data updated October 24, 2026

25 of 50 Contested Cases Ended in a Full Acquittal

There were 50 contested cases, those with a not-guilty plea to at least one charge, and every one reached a verdict. Of those, 25 ended in a full acquittal, meaning not guilty on every charge. That 50% full-acquittal rate was higher than the 37% across all Army cases in 2024.

Another 19 ended in a partial acquittal: the accused was acquitted of at least one charge or specification and convicted of another. Army results list findings charge by charge, so partial acquittals are common. A partial acquittal still leads to a sentence on the charges proved.

Punitive Discharges for Most Convicted Enlisted Members

Of 41 convicted enlisted members, 39 received a punitive discharge: 23 dishonorable and 16 bad-conduct. The share for all Army cases in 2024 was 72%. For sexual assault cases, the share was 90% in 2023 and 95% in 2024.

A punitive discharge is part of the adjudged sentence, and the dishonorable form can come only from a general court-martial. Of 3 convicted officers or warrant officers, 2 were dismissed. A dismissal is the officer equivalent of a punitive discharge.

Most Terms Were Longer Than One Year

Of 44 cases ending in a conviction on at least one charge, 41 included confinement (93%). The median was 2 years, compared with 6 months for all Army cases in 2024. A quarter of the terms were 2.5 years or longer.

Terms of more than one year were given in 29 of 44 convictions (66%), compared with 28% Army-wide. The most common band was more than 1 year to under 5 years, with 24 convictions (55%), compared with 21%. Only 3 convictions (7%) included no confinement.

These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal, and each reflects every charge in the case.

Pleas, Panels, and Judges

Of 69 accused, 50 contested at least one charge and 19 pleaded guilty. All 19 guilty pleas are recorded with a plea agreement, though the records do not say what the agreements provided. The 72% contested share was higher than the 27% for the Army.

The accused usually chooses whether a military judge alone or a panel of members decides guilt. A judge alone heard 41 cases, enlisted panels 17, and officer panels 4. Members heard 34% of the cases, compared with 15% Army-wide. They heard 21 of 43 contested cases (49%).

In the 43 contested cases that reached a verdict with the forum listed, 43% of cases decided by members ended in a full acquittal. For military judges, the rate was 41%. The accused chooses the forum, so the two sets of cases are different, and the rates are not a direct comparison.

Changes From 2023

Cases fell from 95 in 2023 to 69 in 2024. The contested share rose from 66% to 72%. Full acquittals in contested cases that reached a verdict went from 31 of 63 to 25 of 50. The median confinement went from 1.8 years to 2 years. Convictions with confinement went from 88% to 93%.

General courts-martial went from 98% to 96%. In groups of this size, a few cases can change these figures, so they show direction, not exact size.

Assault, Domestic Violence, and Obstruction

Of the 69 cases, 42 charged at least one other article. Article 128 (assault) appeared in 22, Article 128b (domestic violence) in 11, Article 134 (general article) in 9, Article 131b (obstruction) in 8, and Article 120c (indecent recording and exposure) in 5.

A More Senior Group

By rank, 32 accused were junior enlisted, 31 were NCOs, and 6 were officers. This group was more senior than all Army cases in 2024. Of the 69 cases, 66 were general courts-martial (96%), compared with 72% for the Army. A special court-martial is limited to one year of confinement and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.

Fort Bragg tried 12 of these cases, Joint Base Lewis-McChord 10, Fort Carson 6, Fort Hood 5, and Camp Humphreys 4. Together they tried 54% of the 69. Larger installations try more cases of every kind.

Rule Changes That Apply to 2024 Trials

Article 120 is a covered offense. Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel rather than commanders decide whether to prosecute covered offenses. When every guilty finding involves an offense after December 27, 2023, the military judge sets the sentence under new sentencing parameters. Both depend on the offense date, which these records do not give. As a result, 2024 trials include cases under the old and new rules. The records cannot show whether either change affected the results.

What the Records Do Not Show

Trial records do not show the evidence, the plea terms, or allegations handled through 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.