Are Army Courts-Martial Seasonal? Trials by Month, 2021–2025
Army courts-martial were not spread evenly across the calendar from 2021–2025. Of 2,422 trials, May had the most (295) and February the fewest (149). The April–June quarter had 796 trials, while the July–September quarter had 506.
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Trends › By Year › Army by month
Short answer: Army courts-martial were not spread evenly across the calendar from 2021–2025. Of 2,422 trials, May had the most (295) and February the fewest (149). The April–June quarter had 796 trials, while the July–September quarter had 506.
Trials by Calendar Month
May had 295 trials over the 5 full years, an average of 59.0 a year. April had 268 (53.6 a year), and March had 259 (51.8 a year). June followed with 233.
February had the fewest trials, 149, an average of 29.8 a year. December had 152, and July and September each had 164.
The rest of the year fell between those groups. January had 194 trials, October 184, November 182, and August 178.
| Month | Trials | Average per year |
|---|---|---|
| January | 194 | 38.8 |
| February | 149 | 29.8 |
| March | 259 | 51.8 |
| April | 268 | 53.6 |
| May | 295 | 59.0 |
| June | 233 | 46.6 |
| July | 164 | 32.8 |
| August | 178 | 35.6 |
| September | 164 | 32.8 |
| October | 184 | 36.8 |
| November | 182 | 36.4 |
| December | 152 | 30.4 |
Quarter by Quarter
The April–June quarter had the most trials, 796. January–March had 602, October–December had 518, and July–September had 506.
The contested share was 32% in January–March and in April–June. It was 28% in July–September and in October–December. A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. The contested share uses only cases with a plea recorded.
The median confinement was 6 months in every quarter.
| Quarter | Trials | Contested share | Median confinement |
|---|---|---|---|
| January–March | 602 | 32% | 6 months |
| April–June | 796 | 32% | 6 months |
| July–September | 506 | 28% | 6 months |
| October–December | 518 | 28% | 6 months |
Pleas and Full Acquittals Overall
Across all 2,422 cases, 30% were contested. Of the contested cases that reached a verdict, 276 of 723 ended in a full acquittal (38%).
Trials per Year
The records cover January 2021 through December 2025. There were 536 trials in 2021, 493 in 2022, 469 in 2023, 478 in 2024, and 446 in 2025.
The services were required to begin publishing trial records under Article 140a by December 2020. Army records in this data are sparse before 2021, so this page starts with 2021.
Rule Changes Within the Period
Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel, not commanders, decide whether to prosecute covered offenses such as sexual assault, domestic violence, and murder. When every guilty finding in a case is for an offense after December 27, 2023, the military judge sets the sentence under new sentencing parameters.
Both rules depend on the offense date. The records give only trial dates, so trials from 2024 on include cases under both the old and the new rules.
What a Trial Date Does Not Show
Each count here is the month a trial took place. The records do not show when the offense happened or when charges were brought, so the monthly counts describe the trial calendar only. The records cannot show why some months had more trials than others.
Trial records show the charges, pleas, findings, and sentence. They do not show the evidence, the plea terms, or conduct handled by nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation.
Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Army courts-martial with trial dates in 2021–2025 (2422 cases).
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
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.