Domestic Violence at Army Courts-Martial, 2025: The Year in Numbers
11 of 21 contested Army domestic violence cases in 2025 that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal (52%), compared with 45% for all Army cases in 2025. In 109 courts-martial charging Article 128b, the median confinement was 5 months, lower than the 8 months Army-wide.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Trends › By Offense › Article 128b › Army, 2025
Short answer: 11 of 21 contested Army domestic violence cases in 2025 that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal (52%), compared with 45% for all Army cases in 2025. In 109 courts-martial charging Article 128b, the median confinement was 5 months, lower than the 8 months Army-wide.
Few Contested Cases, More Full Acquittals
21 of 109 cases were contested, meaning the accused pleaded not guilty to at least one charge. Of those 21, 11 ended in a full acquittal, with no guilty finding on any charge. 7 (33%) ended in a partial acquittal: not guilty of at least one charge or specification but guilty of another. Army results are listed charge by charge, which is why partial acquittals are common.
The full-acquittal rate was 52%, higher than the 45% across the Army in 2025. The rate is based on 21 cases, so a few verdicts can change it.
A Lower Contested Share Than in 2024
88 cases were guilty pleas, and all 88 are recorded with a plea agreement. The records say whether an agreement existed, not its terms. The contested share was 19%, about the same as the 20% for all Army cases.
In 2024, 35% of these cases were contested, compared with 19% in 2025. The number of cases was about the same, 111 and 109. Full acquittals went from 12 of 39 to 11 of 21. In small groups a few cases can change a percentage, so these changes show direction, not precision.
| 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 111 | 109 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 35% | 19% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 12 of 39 | 11 of 21 |
| Convictions with confinement | 85% | 80% |
| Median confinement | 4 months | 5 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 71% | 72% |
| General courts-martial | 75% | 58% |
Most Sentences Were 1 Year or Less
80% of 98 convictions included confinement. The median confinement was 5 months, and a quarter of the sentences were 1 year or longer. The 2024 median was 4 months.
41 convictions (42%) were sentenced to under 6 months, compared with 36% for the Army overall. 21 (21%) were sentenced to 6 months to 1 year, compared with 15%. 16 of 98 convictions (16%) were sentenced to more than one year, lower than the 30% Army-wide. 3 were sentenced to 5 years or more. 20 convictions (20%) had no confinement.
All of these are adjudged sentences, announced at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. They cover every charge in the case.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, all Army cases in 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 20 | 20% | 19% |
| Under 6 months | 41 | 42% | 36% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 21 | 21% | 15% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 13 | 13% | 18% |
| 5 years or more | 3 | 3% | 11% |
More Special Courts-Martial
A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence. In 2025, 62 of these cases were general courts-martial and 45 were special courts-martial, and 2 did not list the level. The general share was 58%, lower than the 66% across the Army. For domestic violence cases in 2024, it was 75%.
At general courts-martial, the median confinement was 9 months, and 27% of cases were contested. At special courts-martial, the median was 4 months, and 9% were contested.
Who Decided Guilt?
The accused usually chooses whether a military judge alone or a panel of members decides guilt. A military judge alone decided 92 of 107 cases with the forum listed (86%). Members heard 15: 9 enlisted panels and 6 officer panels.
Members heard 15 of the 19 contested cases with the forum listed (79%). Judge-alone cases are mostly guilty pleas.
Punitive Discharges and Dismissals
72% of convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge: 56 bad-conduct and 7 dishonorable. That is about the same as the Army-wide 73% and the 71% for these cases in 2024. 2 of 10 convicted officers or warrant officers were dismissed.
A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
Rank, Other Charges, and Installations
Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) were 47% of the accused, NCOs 40%, and officers 13%. Across the Army in 2025, junior enlisted members were 50%.
39 of 109 cases charged at least one other article. The most common were Article 128 (assault) in 13, Article 90 (disobeying an officer) in 8, Article 119b (child endangerment) in 7, Article 92 (orders violation) in 6, and Article 120 (sexual assault) in 5.
Fort Bragg tried 14 cases. Vilseck (Europe), Fort Campbell, and Fort Drum tried 7 each, and Fort Irwin 5. Together they account for 37% of the 109 cases. Larger installations try more cases of every kind.
Rule Changes and What the Records Do Not Show
Article 128b covers only offenses on or after January 1, 2019, and it is a covered offense. Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel, not commanders, decide whether to prosecute covered offenses. When every guilty finding is for an offense after December 27, 2023, the military judge sets the sentence within new sentencing parameters. The records have trial dates but not offense dates. They cannot separate old-rule from new-rule cases or show whether either change affected these results.
The records also do not show the evidence, the plea terms, or conduct handled outside a court-martial.
For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 128b on the law firm's website. Dates and sources for the law changes: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Army courts-martial with a trial date in 2025 that charged Article 128b (109 cases), compared with all Army cases that year and with 2024.
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
- Article 128b (Domestic Violence, Numbered Since 2019): Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Year (hub)
- How Army Domestic Violence Cases Ended in 2024 (previous / next)
- Is Army Domestic Violence Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 128b, 2021–2025 (the full trend)
- Army Article 128b Cases in 2022
- Domestic Violence at Army Courts-Martial, 2021: The Year in Numbers
- How Army Domestic Violence Cases Ended in 2023
- Domestic Violence at Air Force Courts-Martial, 2024: The Year in Numbers
- What Sentence Follows an Army Domestic Violence Conviction?
- Article 128b explained on the law firm's website
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
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.