Attempt at Army Courts-Martial, 2024: The Year in Numbers
In 2024, 96% of enlisted members convicted in Army attempt cases received a punitive discharge, compared with 72% for all Army cases in 2024. The records hold 34 courts-martial charging Article 80 that year. The median confinement was 11 months, compared with 6 months Army-wide.
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Trends › By Offense › Article 80 › Army, 2024
Short answer: In 2024, 96% of enlisted members convicted in Army attempt cases received a punitive discharge, compared with 72% for all Army cases in 2024. The records hold 34 courts-martial charging Article 80 that year. The median confinement was 11 months, compared with 6 months Army-wide.
More Full Acquittals Than Army-Wide
There were 11 contested cases, meaning the accused pleaded not guilty to at least one charge. Of those 11, 6 ended in a full acquittal (55%). That is higher than the 37% for all Army cases in 2024.
The other 5 (45%) ended in a partial acquittal. The accused was found not guilty of at least one charge or specification and guilty of another.
In 2023, 2 of 14 contested attempt cases ended in a full acquittal. In a group of 11 cases, a few verdicts can change the rate a great deal. The change shows direction more than a stable rate.
Punitive Discharges After Conviction
Of 25 convicted enlisted members, 24 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge. Of those, 9 were dishonorable discharges. The share in 2023 was 97%.
Of 3 convicted officers or warrant officers, 2 were sentenced to dismissal, the officer equivalent of a punitive discharge.
A bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge is part of the court-martial sentence. A member without one may still receive a later administrative separation. These records do not cover administrative separations.
Short and Long Sentences
Of 28 convictions, 26 included confinement. The median confinement was 11 months. A quarter of the sentences were 2.5 years or longer. These are adjudged sentences, announced at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal.
Sentences under 6 months were 12 convictions (43%), the same share as Army-wide. Sentences longer than one year were also 12 of 28 convictions (43%), compared with 28% across the Army. 4 were 5 years or more.
Only 2 convictions were 6 months to 1 year. 2 had no confinement.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, all Army cases in 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 2 | 7% | 13% |
| Under 6 months | 12 | 43% | 43% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 2 | 7% | 15% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 8 | 29% | 21% |
| 5 years or more | 4 | 14% | 7% |
Other Charges in the Same Cases
Article 80 covers attempts to commit other offenses under the code. It was the only charge in 12 of 34 cases. In cases with other charges, the most common were Article 134 (general article) in 6 cases, Article 120 (sexual assault) and Article 128 (assault) in 5 each, Article 82 (solicitation) in 4, and Article 128b (domestic violence) in 3.
A sentence covers every charge in a case. A conviction on several charges receives one sentence, and the records do not divide the sentence among the charges.
Pleas and Forum
There were 23 guilty pleas. Plea agreements are recorded for 22 of them, and 1 has no entry. Army records show that an agreement existed, not its terms. The contested share of 32% was higher than the 27% for all Army cases.
In most cases, the accused chooses whether a military judge alone or a panel of members decides guilt. A judge alone decided 25 of 32 cases with the forum listed (78%). Members decided 7: 4 by enlisted panels and 3 by officer panels. Most judge-alone cases are guilty pleas.
Court Level and Rank
A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including more than one year of confinement and a dishonorable discharge. A special court-martial can impose no more than one year of confinement and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.
Of these 34 cases, 29 were general courts-martial and 5 were special courts-martial. The general court-martial share of 85% compares with 75% Army-wide.
The accused were 17 junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4), 14 NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 3 officers or warrant officers. That group is more senior than the Army overall, where 53% were junior enlisted.
Changes From 2023
There were 38 cases in 2023 and 34 in 2024. The median confinement was 1.5 years in 2023 and 11 months in 2024. The contested share was 37% in 2023 and 32% in 2024.
The share of convictions with confinement was 89% in 2023 and 93% in 2024. General courts-martial were 92% of cases in 2023 and 85% in 2024. These groups are small, so the changes show direction, not exact size.
| 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 38 | 34 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 37% | 32% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 2 of 14 | 6 of 11 |
| Convictions with confinement | 89% | 93% |
| Median confinement | 1.5 years | 11 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 97% | 96% |
| General courts-martial | 92% | 85% |
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 both sets of rules, and the records cannot show whether either change affected these results.
Cases resolved without a court-martial 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 80 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 2024 that charged Article 80 (34 cases), compared with all Army cases that year and with 2023.
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 80 (Attempts): Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Year (hub)
- Attempt at Army Courts-Martial, 2023: The Year in Numbers (previous / next)
- Attempt at Army Courts-Martial, 2025: The Year in Numbers (previous / next)
- Army Article 80 Cases by the Numbers, 2021–2025 (the full trend)
- Army Article 80 Cases in 2021
- Attempt at Army Courts-Martial, 2022: The Year in Numbers
- What Sentence Follows an Army Attempt Conviction?
- Article 80 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.