When Army Accused Plead Guilty to Disrespect
In 25 Army courts-martial from 2021–2025 where the accused pleaded guilty to charges that included Article 89 (disrespect), sentences were lighter than in Army guilty pleas generally. The median confinement was 3 months, compared with 5 months.
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Short answer: In 25 Army courts-martial from 2021–2025 where the accused pleaded guilty to charges that included Article 89 (disrespect), sentences were lighter than in Army guilty pleas generally. The median confinement was 3 months, compared with 5 months. A punitive discharge was adjudged for 55% of convicted enlisted members, compared with 75%.
Disrespect Was Almost Never the Only Charge
Of the 25 cases, 24 charged at least one article besides Article 89. Article 86 (AWOL) and Article 90 (disobeying an officer) were the most common, in 9 cases each. Article 128 (assault) appeared in 8 cases, Article 134 (general article) in 7, and Article 91 (insubordination) in 6.
A court-martial sentence covers every charge in the case. The confinement and discharges described below include punishment for all of these charges, not the disrespect charge alone.
Most Terms Were Short
All 25 cases ended in a conviction on at least one charge, and 22 of those sentences included confinement (88%). The median confinement was 3 months, shorter than the 5-month median in all Army guilty pleas in those years. A quarter of terms were 5 months or longer.
Terms under 6 months made up 72% of convictions, compared with 44% among Army guilty pleas generally. Only 1 of 25 convictions (4%) included more than one year, compared with 24%. No sentence was 5 years or more. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, all Army guilty pleas in those years |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 3 | 12% | 14% |
| Under 6 months | 18 | 72% | 44% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 3 | 12% | 18% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 1 | 4% | 17% |
| 5 years or more | 0 | 0% | 6% |
Fewer Punitive Discharges, None Dishonorable
Of 22 convicted enlisted members, 12 received a punitive discharge (55%). In all Army guilty pleas, the share was 75%. All were bad-conduct discharges, and 0 were dishonorable.
Of 3 convicted officers or warrant officers, 2 were dismissed. Dismissal is the officer equivalent of a punitive discharge. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation, which these records do not track.
General and Special Courts-Martial
General courts-martial heard 13 of the 24 cases with a court level listed (54%). At that level, 85% of convictions included confinement, and the median was 4 months. At the 11 special courts-martial, 91% of convictions included confinement, and the median was 47 days. The level is not listed for 1 case.
A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including a dishonorable discharge and long confinement. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year. It can impose a bad-conduct discharge but not a dishonorable discharge. Since 2019, a special court-martial can also be tried by a military judge alone, with confinement capped at six months and no punitive discharge. The figures here do not separate that form from other special courts-martial.
Pleas and Forum
This post covers only guilty pleas, so none of the cases were contested. Army records show whether a plea agreement existed but not its terms. Any sentence limit set by an agreement does not appear here.
A military judge alone decided all 25 cases. There were 0 enlisted panels and 0 officer panels. Most guilty pleas are decided by a military judge alone.
A More Senior Group Than Usual
Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 48% of the accused, NCOs 40%, and officers 12%. In all Army guilty pleas in those years, junior enlisted members were 60% of the accused. This group was more senior.
Years and Installations
The cases were tried from January 2021 to July 2025. There were 7 in 2021, 5 in 2022, 6 in 2023, 4 in 2024, and 3 in 2025.
Fort Riley had the most cases (5). Fort Bragg had 4, Fort Drum 2, Fort Hood 2, and Fort Carson 1. Those installations had 56% of the cases. Larger installations try more cases of every kind, so a high count alone does not mean a base has a problem with disrespect.
With only 25 cases, 1 case can change a percentage in this post noticeably. The figures show general direction, not precise rates.
Law Changes and Army Records
The services were required to begin publishing trial records under Article 140a by December 2020, and Army records in this data are sparse before 2021. Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel decide whether to prosecute covered offenses such as sexual assault, domestic violence, and murder. When every guilty finding is for an offense after December 27, 2023, the judge sentences within new sentencing parameters. The records give trial dates, not offense dates, so trials from 2024 on include cases under both the old and new rules.
What the Records Do Not Show
Cases resolved by nonjudicial punishment, administrative separation, or no action are not included. The records also do not describe the evidence or the plea terms.
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 89 (disrespect) (25 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 89 (Disrespect Toward Superior Officer; Assault of Superior Officer): Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- Sentences (hub)
- Fewer or More? Disrespect Charges at Army Courts-Martial, 2021–2025
- What Sentence Follows an Army Disrespect Conviction?
- Guilty Pleas in Navy-Marine Corps Disrespect Cases: How Often, and What Came Next (another service)
- 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
- 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.