What the Army Tried in March 2022
The Army tried 55 courts-martial in March 2022. Article 120 (sexual assault) was charged in 37% of them, compared with 26% for the Army across 2022. Of 23 contested cases that reached a verdict, 7 ended in a full acquittal (30%), lower than the 38% for the year.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Short answer: The Army tried 55 courts-martial in March 2022. Article 120 (sexual assault) was charged in 37% of them, compared with 26% for the Army across 2022. Of 23 contested cases that reached a verdict, 7 ended in a full acquittal (30%), lower than the 38% for the year.
More Sexual Assault Charges Than for the Year
Of the 55 cases, 54 have a charge list. Of those, 20 included Article 120 (rape and sexual assault). That share, 37%, was higher than the 26% for the Army across 2022. Each article is counted once per case, so one case can appear under more than one article.
Drug offenses under Article 112a were also charged more often: 22%, compared with 13%. So were false official statements under Article 107 (17% compared with 8%), conspiracy under Article 81 (13% compared with 7%), and obstructing justice under Article 131b (13% compared with 5%). Assault, the general article, and orders violations were charged about as often as for the year.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the Army for all of 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 20 | 37% | 26% |
| Art. 128 Assault | 15 | 28% | 27% |
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 12 | 22% | 13% |
| Art. 134 General article | 11 | 20% | 21% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 11 | 20% | 18% |
| Art. 107 False official statements | 9 | 17% | 8% |
| Art. 81 Conspiracy | 7 | 13% | 7% |
| Art. 131b Obstructing justice | 7 | 13% | 5% |
Guilty Pleas in Drug Cases, Contested Sexual Assault Cases
Drug cases and sexual assault cases had very different plea rates. Of cases charging Article 112a, 83% ended in a guilty plea (10 of 12), the highest rate among the most common charges. Of cases charging Article 120, only 15% did (3 of 20). The records do not explain any accused's choice.
Conviction rates showed the same difference. All 12 drug cases ended in a conviction on Article 112a (100%), with a median confinement of 6 months. Only 7 of 20 Article 120 cases (35%) ended in a conviction on that article. Those convictions had a median confinement of 3.2 years. The rows can overlap, since one case can include 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 | 20 | 7 (35%) | 3.2 years |
| Art. 128 Assault | 15 | 10 (67%) | 10 months |
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 12 | 12 (100%) | 6 months |
| Art. 134 General article | 11 | 9 (82%) | 4 months |
More Contested Cases
A contested case is one where the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. The month had 23 contested cases and 32 guilty pleas. The contested share was 42%, compared with 36% for the Army that year.
Of the 32 guilty pleas, 27 are recorded with a plea agreement and 5 have no entry. Army records state whether an agreement existed but not its terms.
Acquittals in Contested Cases
Of the 23 contested cases that reached a verdict, 7 ended in a full acquittal (30%). That rate was lower than the 38% for 2022. Another 12 cases (52%) ended in a partial acquittal: not guilty of at least one charge or specification and guilty of another.
Army results record findings for each charge. For that reason, partial acquittals are common in this data.
Length of Confinement
There were 48 convictions on at least one charge, and 39 of those sentences included confinement (81%). The median confinement was 6 months, the same as for the Army across the year. A quarter of the terms were 1.2 years or more.
Terms longer than one year were less common than for the year: 10 of 48 convictions (21%), compared with 27%. Terms from 6 months to 1 year were more common: 23%, compared with 16%.
The median confinement was 9 months at the 42 general courts-martial and 4 months at the 13 special courts-martial. Of the general courts-martial, 52% were contested, compared with 8% of the special courts-martial. Only a general court-martial can adjudge more than a year. All sentences here are as adjudged, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each covers every charge in the case.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, the Army for all of 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 9 | 19% | 16% |
| Under 6 months | 18 | 38% | 41% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 11 | 23% | 16% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 6 | 12% | 20% |
| 5 years or more | 4 | 8% | 7% |
Punitive Discharges
Of enlisted convictions, 74% included a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge. That rate was about the same as the 76% for the year. There were 25 bad-conduct discharges and 9 dishonorable discharges. Of 2 convicted officers or warrant officers, 1 was dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
Compared With March 2021
March 2021 had 57 cases. March 2022 had 55. The contested share was 42%, compared with 33% in March 2021. Full acquittals were 7 of 23, compared with 7 of 19. The median confinement was 6 months, compared with 11 months. The general court-martial share was 76%, compared with 84%. Punitive discharges for enlisted members were 74% in both months.
Monthly groups are small, and a few cases can change these figures. These comparisons show direction, not a precise trend.
| March 2021 | March 2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 57 | 55 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 33% | 42% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 7 of 19 | 7 of 23 |
| Convictions with confinement | 82% | 81% |
| Median confinement | 11 months | 6 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 74% | 74% |
| General courts-martial | 84% | 76% |
Rank, Installation, and Forum
The accused were 28 junior enlisted members, 25 NCOs, and 2 officers. This group was more senior than the Army for the year. General courts-martial made up 42 of the 55 cases (76%, compared with 74%).
Fort Bragg and Fort Hood tried 8 cases each, Joint Base Lewis-McChord 5, Fort Campbell 4, and Fort Bliss 3. Together these installations account for 51% of the month. Larger installations try more cases of all kinds.
Of cases with a forum listed, members decided 26%: 13 enlisted panels and 1 officer panel. A military judge alone decided the other 40. Among contested cases, members heard 14 of 22 (64%).
What the Records Do Not Show
These figures start at trial. Offense dates, evidence, plea terms, nonjudicial punishment, and administrative separations are not in the records.
Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Army courts-martial with a trial date in March 2022 (55 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)
- Army Courts-Martial, February 2022: The Month in Review (previous / next)
- What the Army Tried in April 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.