May 2022 at Army Courts-Martial: 62 Cases
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.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
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.
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 Assault | 21 | 34% | 27% |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 14 | 23% | 26% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 10 | 16% | 18% |
| Art. 134 General article | 9 | 15% | 21% |
| Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child | 7 | 11% | 8% |
| Art. 80 Attempts | 6 | 10% | 6% |
| Art. 128b 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.
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, 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 April 2022 (previous / next)
- What the Army Tried in June 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.