How Army General Article Cases Ended in 2024

Trends › By Offense › Article 134 › Army, 2024

Based on 98 cases · 2024 · Army records · data updated October 24, 2026

Fewer Full Acquittals Than in 2023

A contested case is one where the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. Of 21 contested cases that reached a verdict, 3 ended in a full acquittal. 15 (71%) ended in a partial acquittal, meaning not guilty of at least one charge or specification but guilty of another. The Army lists findings charge by charge, so partial acquittals are common.

In 2023, 12 of 30 contested cases ended in a full acquittal. With groups this small, a few verdicts can change the rate a great deal.

Fewer Contested Cases

Guilty pleas were 77 of the 98 cases, and 21 were contested. The contested share of 21% was lower than the 27% across the Army. It was also lower than the 27% for these cases in 2023.

Plea agreements are recorded for 73 of the 77 guilty pleas, and 4 have no entry. Army records show that an agreement existed but not its terms.

A judge alone decided 90 cases. Enlisted panels decided 5 and officer panels decided 3. Members decided 8% of cases, compared with 15% Army-wide, and 8 of 21 contested cases (38%). The accused usually chooses the forum, and most judge-alone cases are guilty pleas.

Confinement After Conviction

Confinement was part of 91% of the 95 convictions. The median confinement was 1 year. A quarter of the sentences were 2.1 years or longer.

These are adjudged sentences, announced at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each covers every charge in the case.

Sentences longer than one year were 39 of 95 convictions (41%), compared with 28% Army-wide. Sentences of 6 months to 1 year were 24 convictions (25%), compared with 15%. Sentences under 6 months were 24%, compared with 43% across the Army.

Sentences by Court Level

Only a general court-martial can adjudge more than one year of confinement or a dishonorable discharge. General courts-martial were 80 of the 95 cases with a court level listed (84%). Special courts-martial were 15, and 3 have no court level listed.

At general courts-martial, 91% of convictions included confinement, and the median was 1.1 years. At special courts-martial, 93% did, and the median was 2 months.

A special court-martial cannot adjudge more than one year of confinement, so its sentences are shorter by rule. A special court-martial can adjudge a bad-conduct discharge but not a dishonorable discharge.

Punitive Discharges

Of 83 convicted enlisted members, 71 received a punitive discharge: 46 bad-conduct discharges and 25 dishonorable discharges. Across the Army in 2024, the share was 72%.

Of 12 convicted officers or warrant officers, 6 were sentenced to dismissal, the officer equivalent of a punitive discharge. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.

Changes From 2023

There were 110 cases in 2023 and 98 in 2024. The median confinement was 1.2 years in 2023 and 1 year in 2024. Punitive discharges for enlisted members were 80% in 2023 and 86% in 2024. The share of convictions with confinement was 87% in 2023 and 91% in 2024.

The contested share was 27% in 2023 and 21% in 2024. Full acquittals were 12 of 30 contested cases in 2023 and 3 of 21 in 2024. These groups are small, and a few cases can change a percentage. The changes show direction more than exact size.

Other Charges and Rank

Article 134 covers offenses not listed elsewhere in the code. It was the only charge in 36 of 98 cases. The most common other charges were Article 128 (assault) in 22 cases, Article 92 (orders violation) in 11, Article 120b (child sexual abuse) in 10, and Article 128b (domestic violence) and Article 120 (sexual assault) in 9 each.

The accused were 50 junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4), 36 NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 12 officers or warrant officers. That is similar to the Army overall, where 53% were junior enlisted.

Rule Changes and What the Records Do Not Show

Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel decide whether to prosecute covered offenses such as sexual assault and domestic violence. When every guilty finding is for an offense after December 27, 2023, the military judge sets the sentence within new sentencing parameters. The records give trial dates but not offense dates. The 2024 trials therefore include cases under the old rules and the new rules. The records cannot show whether the changes affected these numbers.

Only cases that went to a court-martial appear here. Matters resolved through nonjudicial punishment, administrative separation, or no action are not included. The records do not show the evidence or plea terms.

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.