How Army General Article Cases Ended in 2022

Trends › By Offense › Article 134 › Army, 2022

Based on 104 cases · 2022 · Army records · data updated October 24, 2026

More Sentences Longer Than One Year

Confinement was part of 93% of the 95 convictions. The median confinement was 8 months. A quarter of the sentences were 1.9 years or longer.

Sentences longer than one year were 36 of 95 convictions (38%), compared with 27% for the Army as a whole. Most of those were more than 1 year and under 5 years: 31 convictions (33%), compared with 20% Army-wide.

Only 7 convictions (7%) had no confinement, compared with 16% Army-wide. These are adjudged sentences, announced at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each covers every charge in the case.

General and Special Courts-Martial

A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including a dishonorable discharge and confinement of more than one year. A special court-martial can impose no more than one year of confinement and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.

Of the 104 cases, 87 were general courts-martial (84%, compared with 75% Army-wide) and 17 were special courts-martial.

At general courts-martial, 94% of convictions included confinement, and the median was 1 year. At special courts-martial, 86% did, and the median was 3 months.

Results in Contested Cases

A contested case is one where the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. All 33 contested cases reached a verdict. 9 ended in a full acquittal (27%). 17 ended in a partial acquittal (52%), meaning a not-guilty finding on at least one charge or specification and a guilty finding on another. Army findings are recorded charge by charge, so partial acquittals are common.

In contested cases with the forum listed, members acquitted in full 27% of the time and military judges 24% of the time. The accused usually chooses the forum, so the 2 groups of cases are different.

Fewer Contested Cases Than Army-Wide

There were 71 guilty pleas and 33 contested cases. The contested share was 32%, compared with 36% across the Army.

Plea agreements are recorded in 62 of the 71 guilty pleas, and 9 have no entry. The records show whether an agreement existed, not its terms.

A judge alone decided guilt in 87 of 103 cases with the forum listed (84%). Members decided 16: 14 by enlisted panels and 2 by officer panels. Members decided 15 of 32 contested cases (47%).

Changes From 2021

There were 113 cases in 2021 and 104 in 2022. The median confinement was 1 year in 2021 and 8 months in 2022. The share of convictions with confinement was 83% in 2021 and 93% in 2022.

Full acquittals were 5 of 39 contested cases in 2021 and 9 of 33 in 2022. The contested share was 35% in 2021 and 32% in 2022. Punitive discharges for enlisted members were 66% in 2021 and 77% in 2022.

Groups of this size can change by several points with a few cases. These figures show the direction of change more than its exact size.

Punitive Discharges

A punitive discharge followed 77% of enlisted convictions: 44 bad-conduct discharges and 22 dishonorable discharges. That was about the same as the 76% across the Army. Of 8 convicted officers or warrant officers, 4 were sentenced to dismissal.

Only a general court-martial can impose a dishonorable discharge, the more severe type. Most cases in this group were general courts-martial. A bad-conduct discharge is available at both court levels.

A member convicted without a punitive discharge can still receive an administrative separation. These records do not show administrative separations.

Other Charges, Rank, and Installations

Article 134 is the general article. It covers offenses not specifically listed elsewhere. In 82 of 104 cases, at least 1 other article was charged with it. The most common were Article 128 (assault) in 24 cases, Article 92 (orders violation) in 21, Article 120 (sexual assault) in 17, Article 128b (domestic violence) in 13, and Article 80 (attempt) in 12.

Of the accused with rank recorded, 60 were junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4), 34 were NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 9 were officers or warrant officers. That is similar to the Army overall, where 57% were junior enlisted.

Joint Base Lewis-McChord had 16 cases, Fort Bragg 11, Fort Hood 10, Fort Campbell 9, and Fort Drum 8. Together they had 52% of the total. Larger installations try more cases of all kinds.

What the Records Do Not Show

Article 134 covers many different offenses. These records do not say which specific conduct was charged in each case. They also do not include offense dates, the evidence, plea terms, or matters resolved through nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation.

The figures describe trials held in 2022, not offenses committed in 2022. A case here may involve conduct from an earlier year.

For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 134 on the law firm's website. Dates and sources for the law changes: UCMJ change timeline.

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.