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# May 2022 at Army Courts-Martial: 62 Cases
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-courts-martial-may-2022/
- Published: 2026-10-28T06:52:41.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-30T08:06:43.000Z
- Description: The Army tried 62 courts-martial in May 2022. The median confinement for convictions was 8 months, compared with 6 months for the Army across 2022. Sentences of more than one year were given in 39% of convictions, compared with 27% for the year.
- Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart
- Tags: Understanding Trends, Army

[Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [By Year](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-year/) › May 2022

**Short answer:** The Army tried 62 courts-martial in May 2022\. The median confinement for convictions was 8 months, compared with 6 months for the Army across 2022\. Sentences of more than one year were given in 39% of convictions, compared with 27% for the year. Article 128 (assault) was charged in 34% of cases.

Based on 62 cases · May 2022 · Army records · data updated October 24, 2026

## More Long Sentences

Of 56 convictions on at least one charge, 22 (39%) carried more than one year of confinement. For the Army across 2022, that share was 27%. Terms of 5 years or more made up 14% of convictions, compared with 7% for the year. A quarter of the confinement terms were 2.8 years or longer.

Few terms were in the middle range. Only 7% of convictions carried between 6 months and 1 year, compared with 16% for the year. These sentences were adjudged at trial and cover every charge in the case. A plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal can lower them later.

| Adjudged confinement            | Convictions | Share here | Share, the Army for all of 2022 |
| ------------------------------- | ----------- | ---------- | ------------------------------- |
| No confinement                  | 9           | 16%        | 16%                             |
| Under 6 months                  | 21          | 38%        | 41%                             |
| 6 months to 1 year              | 4           | 7%         | 16%                             |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 14          | 25%        | 20%                             |
| 5 years or more                 | 8           | 14%        | 7%                              |

## Longer Terms at General Courts-Martial

A general court-martial can adjudge any lawful sentence. A special court-martial is limited to one year of confinement and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. May 2022 had 48 general courts-martial. Their median confinement was 1.3 years, and 38% were contested. The 14 special courts-martial had a median of 42 days, and 21% were contested.

The general share was 77%, about the same as the 75% for the year. Overall, 47 of the 56 convictions included confinement (84%), with a median of 8 months.

## Charges in the Month

Of 62 records, 61 list charges. Each article is counted once per case. Article 128 (assault) was charged in 21 cases (34%, compared with 27%). Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) was charged in 14 cases (23%, compared with 26%). Article 134 (general article) was charged less often than for the year: 15%, compared with 21%.

Article 120b (child sexual abuse) was charged in 11% of cases, compared with 8%. Article 80 (attempts) was charged in 10%, compared with 6%. Article 128b (domestic violence) was charged in 10%, compared with 13% for the year.

| UCMJ Article                                                                                                                                  | Cases | Share here | Share, the Army for all of 2022 |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | ---------- | ------------------------------- |
| [Art. 128](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-128/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Assault                              | 21    | 34%        | 27%                             |
| [Art. 120](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-120-sexual-assault/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Rape and sexual assault                       | 14    | 23%        | 26%                             |
| [Art. 92](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-92/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Failure to obey order or regulation    | 10    | 16%        | 18%                             |
| [Art. 134](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-134/?ref=bodiesburied.com) General article                      | 9     | 15%        | 21%                             |
| [Art. 120b](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-120b/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Rape and sexual assault of a child | 7     | 11%        | 8%                              |
| [Art. 80](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-80/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Attempts                               | 6     | 10%        | 6%                              |
| [Art. 128b](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-128b-domestic-violence/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Domestic violence                        | 6     | 10%        | 13%                             |
| Art. 81 Conspiracy                                                                                                                            | 4     | 7%         | 7%                              |

## High Conviction Rates for the Most Common Charges

Article 128 cases ended in a conviction on that article in 19 of 21 cases (90%). The median confinement for those convictions was 1 year. Article 92 cases ended in a conviction in 8 of 10 (80%), with a median of 10 months. Article 120 cases ended in a conviction in 11 of 14 (79%), with a median of 2 years.

Article 134 had the lowest conviction rate, 6 of 9\. Its convictions had the longest median confinement: 5.9 years. One case can include convictions and acquittals on different articles, so these rows overlap.

| Article                                     | Cases charging it | Convicted of it (share) | Median confinement when convicted of it |
| ------------------------------------------- | ----------------- | ----------------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| Art. 128 Assault                            | 21                | 19 (90%)                | 1 year                                  |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault            | 14                | 11 (79%)                | 2 years                                 |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 10                | 8 (80%)                 | 10 months                               |
| Art. 134 General article                    | 9                 | 6 (6 of 9)              | 5.9 years                               |

## Pleas and Verdicts

Pleas are listed in 61 of the 62 records: 40 guilty pleas and 21 contested cases. A contested case is one where the accused pleaded not guilty to at least one charge. The contested share was 34%, about the same as the 36% for 2022\. Of the guilty pleas, 35 are recorded with a plea agreement and 5 have no entry. The terms of those agreements are not in the records.

Of assault cases, 75% ended in a guilty plea (15 of 20), the highest rate among the most common charges. Of Article 120 cases, 36% did (5 of 14). The records do not show why any accused pleaded guilty or went to trial.

Of 21 contested cases that reached a verdict, 29% ended in a full acquittal. That rate was lower than the 38% for the year. Another 9 ended in a partial acquittal: not guilty of at least one charge or specification and guilty of another. Army results report the finding on each charge, so partial acquittals are common.

## Judges Decided Most Cases

A military judge alone decided 54 of 62 cases (87%). Members heard 8: 7 enlisted panels and 1 officer panel. Members heard 7 of the 21 contested cases (33%). Most judge-alone trials are guilty pleas.

## Discharges, Rank, and Installation

Of 51 convicted enlisted members, 37 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (73%). That rate was slightly lower than the 76% for the year. Of those 37, 16 were dishonorable discharges. Of 5 convicted officers or warrant officers, 3 were dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge can still be followed by administrative separation.

The accused were 36 junior enlisted members, 20 NCOs, and 6 officers or warrant officers. This mix was similar to the Army for the year, where 57% were junior enlisted. Fort Bliss, Fort Hood, and Fort Bragg tried 6 cases each, and Vilseck (Europe) and Wheeler Army Airfield tried 4 each. Together these installations account for 42% of the 62 cases. Larger installations try more cases of every type.

## Compared With May 2021

May 2021 had 69 cases. May 2022 had 62\. The contested share was 34%, compared with 41% in May 2021\. Full acquittals in contested cases that reached a verdict were 6 of 21, compared with 8 of 28\. The median confinement was 8 months in both months. Enlisted punitive discharges were 73% in both. The general court-martial share was 77%, compared with 78%. Convictions that included confinement were 84%, compared with 89%. Monthly groups are small, and a few cases can change these figures.

The records give trial dates, not offense dates. They do not include evidence, plea terms, nonjudicial punishment, or administrative separations.

|                                     | May 2021 | May 2022 |
| ----------------------------------- | -------- | -------- |
| Cases                               | 69       | 62       |
| Contested (of pleas recorded)       | 41%      | 34%      |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 8 of 28  | 6 of 21  |
| Convictions with confinement        | 89%      | 84%      |
| Median confinement                  | 8 months | 8 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted)       | 73%      | 73%      |
| General courts-martial              | 78%      | 77%      |

Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: [UCMJ change timeline](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/ucmj-change-timeline/).

### How We Counted

Army courts-martial with a trial date in May 2022 (62 cases), compared with the whole year.

Source: public court-martial records (Article 140a, UCMJ) in [Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/), data updated October 24, 2026\. Definitions, sources, and known gaps: [how this data was built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/how-the-military-trial-results-data-was-built/). Errors: content@bodiesburied.com.

## Related Analysis

- [Army Courts-Martial: Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-courts-martial/) (hub)
- [By Year](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-year/) (hub)
- [What the Army Tried in April 2022](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-courts-martial-april-2022/) (previous / next)
- [What the Army Tried in June 2022](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-courts-martial-june-2022/) (previous / next)
- [The Army Court-Martial Year, 2022](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-courts-martial-2022-year-in-review/) (the whole year)
- [April 2023 at Army Courts-Martial: 49 Cases](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-courts-martial-april-2023/)
- [April 2024 at Army Courts-Martial: 46 Cases](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-courts-martial-april-2024/)
- [Army Courts-Martial, August 2025: The Month in Review](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-courts-martial-august-2025/)
- [Army Courts-Martial, December 2024: The Month in Review](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-courts-martial-december-2024/)
- [Search every case in Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/) (members)

← Previous: [What the Army Tried in April 2022](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-courts-martial-april-2022/)Next: [What the Army Tried in June 2022](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-courts-martial-june-2022/) →

**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](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/?ref=bodiesburied.com). This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.