Army Courts-Martial, March 2023: The Month in Review
The Army tried 50 courts-martial in March 2023. Article 128 (assault) was charged in 34% of cases, compared with 26% for the Army across 2023. Of 16 contested cases that reached a verdict, 7 ended in a full acquittal (44%), higher than the 39% for the year.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Short answer: The Army tried 50 courts-martial in March 2023. Article 128 (assault) was charged in 34% of cases, compared with 26% for the Army across 2023. Of 16 contested cases that reached a verdict, 7 ended in a full acquittal (44%), higher than the 39% for the year. There were more NCOs than junior enlisted members among the accused.
A More Senior Group of Accused
The accused were 26 NCOs, 21 junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4), and 3 officers or warrant officers. Across the Army in 2023, junior enlisted members made up 56% of the accused. The March 2023 group was more senior than that.
There were 35 general and 15 special courts-martial. The general share was 70%, lower than the 76% for the year. A general court-martial can impose long confinement and a dishonorable discharge. A special court-martial is limited to one year of confinement.
Assault, Larceny, and Driving Offenses Charged More Often
All 50 records list charges. Each article counts once per case. Article 128 (assault) was charged in 17 cases. Article 121 (larceny) was charged in 12% of cases, compared with 5% for the year. Article 113 (drunken or reckless operation of a vehicle) was charged in 10%, compared with 5%. Article 107 (false official statements) was charged in 8%, compared with 4%.
Some common charges were less frequent. Article 134 (general article) and Article 128b (domestic violence) were each charged in 7 cases (14%). For 2023, their shares were 24% and 21%. Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) was charged in 12 cases (24%, compared with 21%).
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the Army for all of 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 128 Assault | 17 | 34% | 26% |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 12 | 24% | 21% |
| Art. 128b Domestic violence | 7 | 14% | 21% |
| Art. 134 General article | 7 | 14% | 24% |
| Art. 121 Larceny | 6 | 12% | 5% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 6 | 12% | 11% |
| Art. 113 Drunken or reckless operation of vehicle | 5 | 10% | 5% |
| Art. 107 False official statements | 4 | 8% | 4% |
Verdicts in Contested Cases
A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. Of 16 contested cases that reached a verdict, 7 ended in a full acquittal (44%). Another 7 (44%) 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 recorded in Army data.
Most Assault Cases Ended in Guilty Pleas and Convictions
Of assault cases, 65% ended in a guilty plea (11 of 17), the highest rate among the most common charges. Of the 17, 14 ended in a conviction on Article 128 (82%), with a median confinement of 3 months. Of Article 120 cases, 42% ended in a guilty plea (5 of 12). Of the 12, 5 ended in a conviction on that article (42%), with a median of 1.4 years.
These rows overlap, since one case can include a conviction on one article and an acquittal on another. The records do not explain why an accused pleaded guilty or went to trial.
| Article | Cases charging it | Convicted of it (share) | Median confinement when convicted of it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 128 Assault | 17 | 14 (82%) | 3 months |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 12 | 5 (42%) | 1.4 years |
Pleas, Agreements, and Panels
There were 34 guilty pleas and 16 contested cases. The contested share was 32%, about the same as the 31% for the year. All 34 guilty pleas are recorded with a plea agreement. Army records show that an agreement existed, not its terms.
A military judge alone decided 40 of 50 cases (80%). Members heard 10, all with enlisted panels. Members heard 10 of the 16 contested cases (62%). The accused usually chooses the forum.
Confinement by Court Level
Of 43 convictions, 84% included confinement. The median confinement was 6 months, the same as the median for the year. A quarter of terms were 1.2 years or longer. More than one year was given in 9 of 43 convictions (21%), compared with 28% for 2023.
Sentences were very different at the 2 court levels. At the 35 general courts-martial, 90% of convictions included confinement, with a median of 10 months. At the 15 special courts-martial, 71% did, with a median of 16 days.
These are adjudged sentences that cover every charge in the case. Plea-agreement caps, clemency, and appeals can lower them later.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, the Army for all of 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 7 | 16% | 16% |
| Under 6 months | 18 | 42% | 39% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 9 | 21% | 16% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 7 | 16% | 21% |
| 5 years or more | 2 | 5% | 8% |
Discharges
Of 41 convicted enlisted members, 30 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (73%). That rate was about the same as the 74% for the year. Of those 30, 7 were 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.
Installations and the Prior Year
Joint Base Lewis-McChord tried 6 cases, Fort Stewart 5, Fort Bragg and Fort Bliss 4 each, and Fort Benning 3. Together these installations account for 44% of the month. Larger installations try more cases overall.
March 2022 had 55 cases. March 2023 had 50. The contested share was 32%, compared with 42% in March 2022. Full acquittals in contested cases that reached a verdict were 7 of 16, compared with 7 of 23. The median confinement was 6 months in both months. Enlisted punitive discharges were 73%, compared with 74%. Monthly groups are small, and a few cases can change these figures.
| March 2022 | March 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 55 | 50 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 42% | 32% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 7 of 23 | 7 of 16 |
| Convictions with confinement | 81% | 84% |
| Median confinement | 6 months | 6 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 74% | 73% |
| General courts-martial | 76% | 70% |
What the Records Do Not Include
Only cases that reached a courtroom are included. Nonjudicial punishment, administrative separations, cases with no action, the evidence, and plea terms 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 2023 (50 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)
- What the Army Tried in February 2023 (previous / next)
- April 2023 at Army Courts-Martial: 49 Cases (previous / next)
- The Army Court-Martial Year, 2023 (the whole year)
- 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.