Who Defended Contested Army Article 120b Cases? Defense Counsel Experience, 2023–2026
From 2023 to 2026, the Army tried 49 contested courts-martial charging Article 120b (child sexual abuse). Of the 48 that list lawyers on both sides, the most experienced defense counsel of record had more prior cases than the most experienced prosecutor in 29 (60%).
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Short answer: From 2023 to 2026, the Army tried 49 contested courts-martial charging Article 120b (child sexual abuse). Of the 48 that list lawyers on both sides, the most experienced defense counsel of record had more prior cases than the most experienced prosecutor in 29 (60%). Sentences were long: the median confinement was 8.5 years, compared with 1.5 years in all contested Army cases.
Defense Lawyers Had More Prior Cases in 60% of Cases
Both sides have lawyers listed in 48 cases. In 29 of them (60%), the most experienced defense counsel of record had more prior cases than the most experienced trial counsel. In 17 (35%), the defense lawyer had fewer. The rest were tied.
Trial counsel are the prosecutors. The comparison describes who was listed in the records, not who led the case or did the work.
What Experience Means in These Figures
Experience here is the number of courts-martial a lawyer had already been counsel of record on in this data before the trial date. It counts work on either side, in Army cases only. It does not measure skill, and any cases from before the records start are not counted.
Most cases list more than one defense lawyer, and the records do not name a lead. Each case is assigned to its most experienced defense counsel of record. This page does not rate or rank any lawyer.
Defense Experience Levels
Of the 49 cases, 48 list at least one defense counsel of record. The median prior-case count for the most experienced defense lawyer was 11.
The 10 to 19 group held 21 cases (44%). The 5 to 9 group and the 20 or more group held 11 cases each (23% each). The 1 to 4 group held 5 cases (10%). Every defense team had at least one lawyer with a prior case in the data.
| Prior cases (most experienced defense counsel) | Cases | Share |
|---|---|---|
| No prior cases | 0 | 0% |
| 1 to 4 | 5 | 10% |
| 5 to 9 | 11 | 23% |
| 10 to 19 | 21 | 44% |
| 20 or more | 11 | 23% |
Verdict Rates in Each Group
The second table covers the 48 contested cases that reached a verdict and list a defense counsel. A contested case is one where the accused pleaded not guilty to at least one charge. A partial acquittal means not guilty of at least one charge or specification and guilty of another.
In the 5 to 9 group, 64% of the 11 cases ended in a full acquittal and 18% in a partial acquittal. In the 10 to 19 group, 14% of the 21 cases ended in a full acquittal and 48% in a partial acquittal. The 20 or more group had 27% full acquittals and 45% partial acquittals. In the 1 to 4 group, 1 of 5 ended in a full acquittal and 4 of 5 in a partial acquittal.
The groups are small, and the rows do not follow a steady pattern. The records do not show the evidence, plea offers, or who did the work, so these figures describe outcomes, not the effect of experience.
| Prior cases (most experienced defense counsel) | Contested cases | Full acquittal | Partial acquittal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | 5 | 1 of 5 | 4 of 5 |
| 5 to 9 | 11 | 64% | 18% |
| 10 to 19 | 21 | 14% | 48% |
| 20 or more | 11 | 27% | 45% |
Defense Team Size
The records list 2 defense counsel of record in 32 of the 48 cases. They list 1 in 13 cases and 3 or more in 3 cases.
Confinement and Discharges
Convicted accused received a median of 8.5 years of confinement. The figure for all contested Army cases in 2023–2026 was 1.5 years. Each sentence is the one adjudged at trial. Plea-agreement caps, clemency, and appeals can change a sentence afterward, and those changes are not shown.
Of convicted enlisted members, 87% received a bad-conduct discharge or a dishonorable discharge, the two forms of punitive discharge. The share for all contested Army cases was 68%. A member whose sentence did not include one could still be separated administratively.
Trial Years and Counsel Data
The cases were tried between January 2023 and July 2026. There were 15 in 2023, 21 in 2024, 9 in 2025, and 4 in 2026, a partial year.
Counsel names in Army records are close to complete starting in 2021. Beginning this page in 2023 means most lawyers already have earlier cases on file. Spelling variants of the same name are combined using the Learn Your Lawyer method. Navy and Marine Corps records name counsel only from mid-2025, usually by surname alone, so those services are excluded.
Rules for Covered Offenses and Data Limits
Child sexual abuse under Article 120b is a covered offense. For covered offenses, the decision to prosecute has belonged to special trial counsel instead of commanders since December 28, 2023. A second change applies when all guilty findings are for offenses after December 27, 2023: the military judge sets the sentence under new sentencing parameters. Offense dates are missing from the records, so trials in 2024 and later include cases under both sets of rules.
Only cases that reached a courtroom are here. Nonjudicial punishment, administrative separation, and cases with no action are not in the records, which also do not describe the evidence or the plea terms.
For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 120b on the law firm's website. Dates and sources for the law changes: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Army courts-martial with trial dates in 2023–2026 that charged Article 120b and had a not-guilty or mixed plea (49 cases). Counsel of record are as listed in the public records.
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
- Counsel Experience (hub)
- Article 120b (Rape and Sexual Assault of a Child): Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- Army Trial Counsel in Contested Article 120b Cases: Prior Cases and Verdicts, 2023–2026
- Army Defense Counsel in Contested Article 107 Cases: Prior Cases and Verdicts, 2023–2026
- Army Defense Counsel in Contested Article 112a Cases: Prior Cases and Verdicts, 2023–2026
- Army Defense Counsel in Contested Article 115 Cases: Prior Cases and Verdicts, 2023–2026
- Army Defense Counsel in Contested Article 120 Cases: Prior Cases and Verdicts, 2023–2026
- Army Defense Counsel in Contested Article 121 Cases: Prior Cases and Verdicts, 2023–2026
- Army Defense Counsel in Contested Article 128 Cases: Prior Cases and Verdicts, 2023–2026
- Article 120b explained on the law firm's website
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Compare: federal court. Child Sexual Abuse and Enticement: 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.