Army Courts-Martial, February 2022: The Month in Review
Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) appeared in 43% of the Army's 28 courts-martial in February 2022, compared with 26% for the Army across 2022. 7 of 13 contested cases that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal (54%), compared with 38% for the year.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Trends › By Year › February 2022
Short answer: Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) appeared in 43% of the Army's 28 courts-martial in February 2022, compared with 26% for the Army across 2022. 7 of 13 contested cases that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal (54%), compared with 38% for the year.
Sexual Assault Was the Most Common Charge
Every one of the 28 records lists its charges, and an article counts once per case even when charged several times. Article 120 appeared in 12 cases (43%). Article 134, the general article, appeared in 10 (36%), compared with 21% for the year.
Article 107 (false official statements) was charged in 18% of cases, compared with 8%. Article 131b (obstructing justice) was charged in 11%, compared with 5%. Article 128 (assault) was less common than for the year: 18% compared with 27%.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the Army for all of 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 12 | 43% | 26% |
| Art. 134 General article | 10 | 36% | 21% |
| Art. 128 Assault | 5 | 18% | 27% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 5 | 18% | 18% |
| Art. 107 False official statements | 5 | 18% | 8% |
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 5 | 18% | 13% |
| Art. 131b Obstructing justice | 3 | 11% | 5% |
| Art. 80 Attempts | 2 | 7% | 6% |
Most Contested Cases Ended in a Full Acquittal
Pleading not guilty to at least one charge, either fully or through a mixed plea, makes a case contested. Of 13 contested cases that reached a verdict, 7 ended in a full acquittal (54%), compared with 38% for the Army over 2022.
Another 4 ended in a partial acquittal: not guilty of at least one charge or specification and guilty of another. Army results list findings for each charge, so partial acquittals are visible.
More Cases Were Contested
There were 15 guilty pleas and 13 contested cases. The contested share was 46%, compared with 36% for the year. Of the 15 guilty pleas, 14 are recorded with a plea agreement and 1 has no entry. The records state whether an agreement existed but not its terms.
Pleas differed by charge. Cases charging Article 134 ended in a guilty plea 70% of the time (7 of 10). Cases charging Article 120 did so only 25% of the time (3 of 12). The records do not say why an accused pleaded guilty or contested the charges.
Convictions by Charge
Article 120 cases ended in a conviction on that article in 7 of 12 cases (58%). The median confinement for those convictions was 1.3 years. Article 134 cases ended in a conviction on that article in 7 of 10 (70%), with a median of 6 months. Rows overlap when a case includes a conviction on one article and an acquittal on another.
| Article | Cases charging it | Convicted of it (share) | Median confinement when convicted of it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 12 | 7 (58%) | 1.3 years |
| Art. 134 General article | 10 | 7 (70%) | 6 months |
Sentences After Conviction
The month had 21 convictions, and 18 included confinement. The median confinement was 6 months, the same as the Army median for 2022. A quarter of sentences were 1.3 years or longer.
6 of 21 convictions (29%) included more than one year of confinement, about the same as the 27% for the year. 1 conviction included 5 years or more. A special court-martial cannot adjudge more than a year, so longer sentences came from general courts-martial. The figures are adjudged sentences covering every charge, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, the Army for all of 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 3 | 14% | 16% |
| Under 6 months | 8 | 38% | 41% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 4 | 19% | 16% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 5 | 24% | 20% |
| 5 years or more | 1 | 5% | 7% |
More Punitive Discharges Than for the Year
A punitive discharge followed 85% of enlisted convictions: 12 bad-conduct and 5 dishonorable. For the Army in 2022, the share was 76%. The month also had 1 convicted officer or warrant officer, who was dismissed. Dismissal is the officer equivalent of a punitive discharge.
A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation, and these records do not include that process.
Who Decided Guilt, Rank, and Installations
A military judge alone decided 20 cases, enlisted panels 6, and an officer panel 1. Members heard 26% of cases, compared with 20% for the year. They heard 7 of 12 contested cases with a forum listed (58%). The accused usually chooses the forum.
Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) were 67% of the accused, compared with 57% Army-wide. NCOs were 30% and officers 4%. General courts-martial made up 19 of 28 cases (68%), compared with 75% for the year.
Fort Hood tried 5 cases; Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Fort Bragg tried 3 each; and Fort Gordon and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson tried 2 each. Together they had 54% of the month's cases. Larger installations try more cases in general.
Compared With February 2021
February 2021 had 36 cases. The contested share went from 31% to 46%. Full acquittals in contested cases that reached a verdict went from 5 of 10 to 7 of 13. Convictions with confinement went from 73% to 86%. The median confinement went from 7 months to 6 months.
Punitive discharges for enlisted members were 85% in both months. The general court-martial share went from 72% to 68%. A few cases can change figures for groups this small.
| February 2021 | February 2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 36 | 28 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 31% | 46% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 5 of 10 | 7 of 13 |
| Convictions with confinement | 73% | 86% |
| Median confinement | 7 months | 6 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 85% | 85% |
| General courts-martial | 72% | 68% |
What the Records Do Not Show
Only cases that reached a courtroom are counted. Matters closed by nonjudicial punishment, administrative separation, or no action are not included. The records do not describe the evidence or plea terms. They list trial dates, not the dates of the alleged conduct.
Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Army courts-martial with a trial date in February 2022 (28 cases), compared with the whole year.
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
- Army Courts-Martial: Data and Trends (hub)
- By Year (hub)
- January 2022 at Army Courts-Martial: 35 Cases (previous / next)
- What the Army Tried in March 2022 (previous / next)
- The Army Court-Martial Year, 2022 (the whole year)
- April 2023 at Army Courts-Martial: 49 Cases
- April 2024 at Army Courts-Martial: 46 Cases
- Army Courts-Martial, August 2025: The Month in Review
- Army Courts-Martial, December 2024: The Month in Review
- 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.