Army Article 120 Cases in 2025

Trends › By Offense › Article 120 › Army, 2025

Based on 46 cases · 2025 · Army records · data updated October 24, 2026

Full Acquittal in 60% of Contested Cases

Of the 30 contested cases that reached a verdict, 18 ended in a full acquittal, meaning not guilty on every charge. The 60% rate was higher than the 45% for all Army cases in 2025. It was also higher than the 25 of 50 for sexual assault cases in 2024.

Another 10 contested cases ended in a partial acquittal: not guilty of at least one charge or specification, but guilty of another. Army results list findings charge by charge, so partial acquittals are common in the data.

Sentences Measured in Years

Of 28 cases ending in a conviction on at least one charge, 26 included confinement (93%). The median term was 3.8 years, compared with 8 months across the Army. A quarter of the terms were 8.5 years or longer. Of those terms, 1 was a life sentence.

Terms of 5 years or more were given in 12 convictions (43%), compared with 11% Army-wide. Overall, 18 of 28 convictions (64%) included more than one year, compared with 30%. Only 2 convictions (7%) included no confinement.

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

Panels Heard Most Contested Cases

The accused usually chooses whether a military judge alone or a panel of members decides guilt. In 2025, 58% of cases with the forum listed went to members: 19 enlisted panels and 7 officer panels. The other 19 were judge alone. Among contested cases, members heard 26 of 29 (90%).

There were 16 guilty pleas, and all 16 are recorded with a plea agreement. Army records do not say what any agreement provided. The contested share was 65%, compared with 20% for the Army as a whole in 2025.

Most contested sexual assault cases in 2025 were decided by a panel, not a judge alone. The records cannot show how the forum was chosen in any case.

Comparing 2025 With 2024

The number of cases fell from 69 to 46. The median confinement rose from 2 years to 3.8 years. Punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members fell from 95% to 78%. The contested share went from 72% to 65%.

Convictions with confinement stayed at 93%, and general courts-martial went from 96% to 98%. With groups this small, these changes show direction, not exact size.

Discharges and Dismissals

Among 23 convicted enlisted members, 18 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (78%), more often than the 73% for all Army cases in 2025. Of those, 13 were dishonorable.

All 5 convicted officers or warrant officers were dismissed, the officer equivalent of a punitive discharge. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out an administrative separation later.

Other Charges in the Same Case

Article 120 was the only charge in 20 of 46 cases. In the other cases, the other charges were Article 128 (assault) in 14, Article 128b (domestic violence) in 5, Article 134 (general article) in 4, and Article 121 (larceny) and Article 120c (indecent recording and exposure) in 3 each.

An adjudged sentence covers every finding, so the long terms above include any other convictions too. Cases charging Article 120 alone were a large part of these cases, but the figures here do not separate their sentences from the rest.

Rank and Court Level

By rank, 17 accused were junior enlisted, 20 were NCOs, and 9 were officers. This group was more senior than all Army cases in 2025. General courts-martial, which can impose long confinement and a dishonorable discharge, made up 98% of the cases (45 of 46).

Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Fort Hood each tried 6 of these cases, and Vilseck (Europe), Fort Campbell, and Fort Bragg 4 each. Together they tried 52% of the 46. Larger installations try more cases of every kind.

Old and New Rules in 2025 Trials

Article 120 is a covered offense. Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel instead of commanders decide whether to prosecute covered offenses. When every guilty finding involves an offense after December 27, 2023, the military judge sets the sentence within new sentencing parameters. Both depend on offense dates, which the records do not give, so 2025 trials include cases under both sets of rules. The records cannot show whether these changes played any part in the 2025 figures.

What the Records Do Not Show

These records cover only cases tried by court-martial. Allegations handled by nonjudicial punishment, administrative separation, or no action do not appear. The records do not describe the evidence or the plea terms.

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.