Contested Army Article 120 Cases Decided by Members (A Panel)

Trends › By Offense › Article 120 › Decided by members

Based on 222 cases · 2021–2025 · Army records · data updated October 24, 2026

Half of Panel Cases Ended in Full Acquittal

Each of the 222 cases was contested: the accused pleaded not guilty to at least one charge, and none pleaded guilty. Of the 222 contested cases that reached a verdict, 112 ended in a full acquittal (50%). That is higher than the 45% in all contested Army Article 120 cases.

A further 88 cases were partial acquittals, with a not-guilty finding on at least one charge or specification and a guilty finding on another. Army results list findings charge by charge, so partial acquittals are common in Army records. 110 cases ended in a conviction on at least one charge.

Enlisted and Officer Panels

An enlisted panel heard 187 of the cases and an officer panel heard 35. No case on this page was decided by a military judge alone. Across all contested Army Article 120 cases, members heard 66%.

The accused usually chooses whether a military judge alone or a panel of members decides guilt. That choice means panel cases and judge-alone cases are different groups of cases. The acquittal rate above describes what happened before panels and does not measure an effect of the forum.

Confinement and the Median

Confinement was part of 80% of the 110 convictions. The median confinement was 2.6 years, compared with 2.5 years in all contested Army Article 120 cases. A quarter of those sentences were 5 years or longer.

Sentences on this page are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each one covers every charge of which the accused was convicted.

Sentences at Both Ends of the Range

Fewer convictions here included more than one year of confinement: 60 of 110 (55%), compared with 61% in all contested Army Article 120 cases. The middle band was smaller. Sentences of more than 1 year and under 5 years made up 31%, compared with 40%.

Both ends of the range were larger. 22 convictions carried no confinement (20%), compared with 17%. Sentences of 5 years or more made up 24%, compared with 20%. A special court-martial is capped at one year of confinement, so the longer bands come from general courts-martial.

Who Received a Punitive Discharge

A punitive discharge followed 76% of enlisted convictions: 59 dishonorable discharges and 12 bad-conduct discharges. In all contested Army Article 120 cases, the share was 81%.

17 convicted officers or warrant officers appear in these cases, and 14 were dismissed, the officer equivalent of a punitive discharge. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.

Charges Tried Alongside Article 120

77 of the 222 cases charged Article 120 alone. Article 128 (assault) was the most frequent added charge, in 90 cases. Article 134 (the general article) appeared in 33, Article 92 (orders violation) in 26, Article 128b (domestic violence) in 19, and Article 80 (attempt) in 17. Because each sentence covers every charge, these added charges are part of the sentence figures.

The Accused and the Court Level

By rank, the accused were 116 junior enlisted members, 80 NCOs, and 24 officers. The group is similar to all contested Army Article 120 cases. 215 of the 222 cases were general courts-martial (97%), the same share as in all contested Army Article 120 cases. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including a dishonorable discharge or dismissal.

Trial Years and Installations

The cases run from January 2021 to December 2025. There were 76 in 2021, 56 in 2022, 43 in 2023, 21 in 2024, and 26 in 2025. Fort Bragg had 27 cases, Fort Hood 24, Joint Base Lewis-McChord 20, Wheeler Army Airfield 17, and Fort Carson 14. Those five account for 46% of the 222.

Larger installations try more cases of every kind. A high count at one installation does not show a higher rate of the offense there.

Law Changes and What the Data Leaves Out

Sexual assault is a covered offense. Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel, not commanders, decide whether to prosecute it. For offenses after December 27, 2023, the military judge sets the sentence within new sentencing parameters when every guilty finding is for such an offense. The records give trial dates, not offense dates, so 2024 and 2025 trials include cases under both sets of rules.

Only cases that reached a courtroom are counted. Nonjudicial punishment, administrative separation, and cases with no action are not in these records, and the records do not describe the evidence.

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.