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Understanding Trends

Army Article 93 Cases in 2022

In 2022, 7 of the 11 contested Army maltreatment cases that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal (64%), compared with 38% for all Army cases that year. The records hold 17 cases charging Article 93 (maltreatment), and 65% were contested, compared with 36% across the Army.

Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 4 min read

Trends › By Offense › Article 93 › Army, 2022

Short answer: In 2022, 7 of the 11 contested Army maltreatment cases that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal (64%), compared with 38% for all Army cases that year. The records hold 17 cases charging Article 93 (maltreatment), and 65% were contested, compared with 36% across the Army.

Based on 17 cases · 2022 · Army records · data updated October 24, 2026

Full Acquittals Were More Common

A full acquittal means a finding of not guilty on every charge. Of the 11 contested cases that reached a verdict, 7 ended that way. The other 4 ended in a partial acquittal: not guilty of at least one charge or specification, but guilty of another.

The full-acquittal rate, 64%, was higher than the 38% for all Army cases in 2022. Army results list findings charge by charge, which is why partial acquittals appear often in Army records.

Pleas

Of the 17 cases, 11 were contested and 6 ended in a guilty plea. A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge, either a not-guilty plea or a mixed plea. The contested share, 65%, was higher than the 36% for all Army cases in 2022.

Who Decided Guilt in These Cases?

A military judge alone decided 11 of the cases. Enlisted panels decided the other 6, which is 35% of the cases with the forum listed. The accused usually chooses whether a military judge alone or a panel of members decides guilt.

In contested cases, members heard 6 of the 11 (55%).

Sentences After a Conviction

Only 10 of the 17 cases ended in a conviction on at least one charge. Confinement was part of 5 of those sentences (50%). The median confinement was 5 months, close to the 6 months for all Army cases in 2022.

These are adjudged sentences, announced at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each sentence covers every charge in the case, not only Article 93.

The Accused Were Mostly NCOs

NCOs made up 88% of the accused. Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) and officers made up 6% each. Across all Army cases in 2022, 57% of the accused were junior enlisted.

General courts-martial heard 13 of the 17 cases (76%), about the same as the 75% for all Army cases in 2022. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.

Sexual Assault Was the Most Common Other Charge

Only 3 of the 17 cases charged Article 93 by itself. Article 120 (sexual assault) appeared in 9 cases, Article 92 (orders violation) in 6, Article 134 (general article) in 4, and Article 128 (assault) and Article 131b (obstruction) in 3 each.

The findings and sentences in these cases cover all of the charges together. The records here do not separate the outcome of the maltreatment charge from the others.

Limits of the Records

The records give trial dates, not offense dates. They do not describe the evidence or any 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 with a trial date in 2022 that charged Article 93 (17 cases), compared with all Army cases that year and with 2021.

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.

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.

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