When Army Accused Plead Guilty to Stalking
In 10 Army courts-martial from 2021–2025 where the accused pleaded guilty to charges including Article 130 (stalking), 9 were general courts-martial (90%), compared with 68% for all Army guilty pleas in those years.
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Short answer: In 10 Army courts-martial from 2021–2025 where the accused pleaded guilty to charges including Article 130 (stalking), 9 were general courts-martial (90%), compared with 68% for all Army guilty pleas in those years. 6 of the 10 sentences included confinement, with a median of 8 months, compared with 5 months Army-wide.
Nearly All General Courts-Martial
9 of the 10 cases were general courts-martial (90%). For all Army guilty pleas in those years, the share was 68%. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including long confinement and a dishonorable discharge. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.
Confinement in 6 of 10 Sentences
All 10 cases ended in a conviction on at least one charge, and 6 of the sentences included confinement (60%). Among those, the median confinement was 8 months, compared with 5 months for all Army guilty pleas in those years.
These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each sentence covers every charge in the case.
Domestic Violence Charges Often Appeared Too
9 of the 10 cases charged at least one other article. Article 128b (domestic violence) appeared in 4 cases and Article 128 (assault) in 3. Article 115 (communicating threats), Article 90 (disobeying an officer), and Article 129 (burglary and unlawful entry) each appeared in 2.
Plea Agreements and Forum
9 of the 10 guilty pleas are recorded with a plea agreement, and 1 has no entry. Army records say whether there was an agreement, not what it said. The accused usually chooses whether a military judge alone or a panel of members decides guilt. A military judge alone decided guilt in all 10 cases.
Rank of the Accused
6 of the accused were junior enlisted (E-1 to E-4), 3 were NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 1 was an officer or warrant officer. That mix was similar to all Army guilty pleas in those years, where 60% were junior enlisted.
Trial Years
The 10 trials ran from April 2021 to August 2025. The records show 1 in 2021, 0 in 2022, 6 in 2023, 1 in 2024, and 2 in 2025.
Law Changes and Covered Offenses
Article 128b (domestic violence) appeared in 4 of these cases, and domestic violence is one of the covered offenses. Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel, not commanders, decide whether covered offenses are prosecuted; sexual assault and murder are also on that list. The records do not show who made the prosecution decision in any of these cases.
Sentencing changed as well. When every guilty finding is for an offense after December 27, 2023, the military judge imposes the sentence within new parameters. An earlier law, the Military Justice Act of 2016, took effect on January 1, 2019, and brought written plea agreements, fixed panel sizes, and judge-alone special courts-martial capped at six months with no punitive discharge.
What the Records Do Not Cover
The sheet for this group gives no count of punitive discharges. The records do not describe the evidence or the plea terms. Cases handled by nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation are not included.
Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Army courts-martial tried 2021–2025: where the accused pleaded guilty to charges including Article 130 (stalking) (10 cases), compared with all Army guilty pleas in those years.
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 130 (Housebreaking Before 2019, Stalking Since): Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- Sentences (hub)
- Fewer or More? Stalking Charges at Army Courts-Martial, 2021–2025
- Guilty Pleas in Army Child Endangerment Cases: How Often, and What Came Next
- Guilty Pleas in Army Communicating Threats Cases: How Often, and What Came Next
- Guilty Pleas in Army Conspiracy Cases: How Often, and What Came Next
- Guilty Pleas in Army Domestic Violence Cases: How Often, and What Came Next
- Guilty Pleas in Army Drug Cases: How Often, and What Came Next
- Guilty Pleas in Army Drunken Or Reckless Driving Cases: How Often, and What Came Next
- 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.