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# Army Courts-Martial, May 2024: The Month in Review
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-courts-martial-may-2024/
- Published: 2026-10-28T06:52:48.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-30T08:06:55.000Z
- Description: The Army tried 62 courts-martial in May 2024. Only 1 of 15 contested cases that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal (7%), compared with 37% for the Army across 2024. The median confinement for convictions was 4 months, shorter than the 6 months 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 2024

**Short answer:** The Army tried 62 courts-martial in May 2024\. Only 1 of 15 contested cases that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal (7%), compared with 37% for the Army across 2024\. The median confinement for convictions was 4 months, shorter than the 6 months for the year.

Based on 62 cases · May 2024 · Army records · data updated October 24, 2026

## Few Full Acquittals in Contested Cases

A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. In May 2024, 15 contested cases reached a verdict. Only 1 ended in a full acquittal. That rate, 7%, was much lower than the 37% for the Army that year.

Of the other cases, 10 ended in a partial acquittal: not guilty of at least one charge or specification and guilty of another. Army results report findings for each charge, so partial acquittals are recorded.

## High Conviction Rates for the Most Common Charges

All 14 cases charging Article 128 (assault) ended in a conviction on that article (100%). The median confinement for those convictions was 6 months. All 9 cases charging Article 120b (child sexual abuse) ended in a conviction on that article (9 of 9), with a median of 3.5 years.

Article 134 (general article) cases ended in a conviction in 13 of 14 (93%), with a median of 1 year. Article 128b (domestic violence) cases ended in a conviction in 10 of 12 (83%), with a median of 3 months. One case can include convictions and acquittals on different articles, so the rows overlap.

| Article                                      | Cases charging it | Convicted of it (share) | Median confinement when convicted of it |
| -------------------------------------------- | ----------------- | ----------------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| Art. 128 Assault                             | 14                | 14 (100%)               | 6 months                                |
| Art. 134 General article                     | 14                | 13 (93%)                | 1 year                                  |
| Art. 128b Domestic violence                  | 12                | 10 (83%)                | 3 months                                |
| Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child | 9                 | 9 (9 of 9)              | 3.5 years                               |

## Which Articles Were Charged

All 62 cases have charge lists. A case charging several articles appears once under each. Article 128 and Article 134 were each charged in 14 cases (23%). Article 128b was charged in 12 cases (19%, compared with 23% for the year).

Some articles were charged more often than for the year. Article 120b was charged in 15% of cases, compared with 9%. Article 121 (larceny) was charged in 13%, compared with 7%. Article 131b (obstructing justice) was charged in 10%, compared with 6%. Article 120 (sexual assault) was charged in only 8% of cases, compared with 15%. Article 92 (orders violations) was charged in 8%, compared with 12%.

| UCMJ Article                                                                                                                                  | Cases | Share here | Share, the Army for all of 2024 |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | ---------- | ------------------------------- |
| [Art. 128](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-128/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Assault                              | 14    | 23%        | 23%                             |
| [Art. 134](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-134/?ref=bodiesburied.com) General article                      | 14    | 23%        | 21%                             |
| [Art. 128b](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-128b-domestic-violence/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Domestic violence                        | 12    | 19%        | 23%                             |
| [Art. 120b](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-120b/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Rape and sexual assault of a child | 9     | 15%        | 9%                              |
| [Art. 121](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-121/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Larceny                              | 8     | 13%        | 7%                              |
| Art. 131b Obstructing justice                                                                                                                 | 6     | 10%        | 6%                              |
| [Art. 120](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-120-sexual-assault/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Rape and sexual assault                       | 5     | 8%         | 15%                             |
| [Art. 92](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-92/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Failure to obey order or regulation    | 5     | 8%         | 12%                             |

## Mostly Short Terms

Of 61 convictions, 51 included confinement. The median confinement was 4 months. A quarter of terms were 1.1 years or more. Terms under 6 months made up 51% of convictions, compared with 43% for the year. More than one year was given in 13 of 61 (21%), compared with 28%.

There were 37 general courts-martial (60%, compared with 72% for the Army in 2024) and 22 special courts-martial. The court level is missing for 3 cases. A special court-martial is limited to one year of confinement and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. The general courts-martial had a median confinement of 9 months, and 32% were contested. The special courts-martial had a median of 50 days, and 9% were contested.

All of these are adjudged sentences that cover every charge in a case. They do not reflect later plea-agreement caps, clemency, or appeals.

| Adjudged confinement            | Convictions | Share here | Share, the Army for all of 2024 |
| ------------------------------- | ----------- | ---------- | ------------------------------- |
| No confinement                  | 10          | 16%        | 13%                             |
| Under 6 months                  | 31          | 51%        | 43%                             |
| 6 months to 1 year              | 7           | 11%        | 15%                             |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 8           | 13%        | 21%                             |
| 5 years or more                 | 5           | 8%         | 7%                              |

## Pleas and Panels

Of 62 cases, 47 were guilty pleas and 15 were contested. The contested share was 24%, compared with 27% for the year. Plea agreements are recorded for 46 of the 47 guilty pleas, and 1 has no entry. The records do not show the terms of the agreements.

Of assault cases, 79% ended in a guilty plea (11 of 14), the highest rate among the most common charges. Of Article 128b cases, 67% did (8 of 12).

A military judge alone decided 53 cases. Of cases with a forum listed, members heard 15%: 6 enlisted panels and 3 officer panels. Members heard 9 of the 15 contested cases (60%).

## Discharges and Officers

Of 52 convicted enlisted members, 37 received a punitive discharge: 27 bad-conduct discharges and 10 dishonorable discharges. The Army share for the year was 72%. The month had 9 convicted officers or warrant officers, and 3 were dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not prevent an administrative separation later.

By rank, the accused were 33 junior enlisted members, 20 NCOs, and 9 officers. This mix was similar to the year.

## Fort Hood Tried the Most Cases

Fort Hood tried 11 of the 62 cases. Fort Carson and Joint Base Lewis-McChord tried 6 each, and Vilseck (Europe) and Fort Bragg tried 4 each. Together these installations account for 50% of the month. Larger installations try more cases of every kind.

## Compared With May 2023

May 2023 had 57 cases. May 2024 had 62\. Full acquittals in contested cases that reached a verdict were 1 of 15, compared with 7 of 15 in May 2023\. Enlisted punitive discharges were 71%, compared with 88%. The median confinement was 4 months, compared with 6 months. The general court-martial share was 63%, compared with 77%. The contested share was about the same: 24%, compared with 26%. Monthly groups are small, and a few cases can change these figures.

|                                     | May 2023 | May 2024 |
| ----------------------------------- | -------- | -------- |
| Cases                               | 57       | 62       |
| Contested (of pleas recorded)       | 26%      | 24%      |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 7 of 15  | 1 of 15  |
| Convictions with confinement        | 90%      | 84%      |
| Median confinement                  | 6 months | 4 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted)       | 88%      | 71%      |
| General courts-martial              | 77%      | 63%      |

## Rule Changes and What the Records Leave Out

Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel, not commanders, decide whether covered offenses go to trial. Covered offenses include sexual assault, domestic violence, and murder. Judges sentence within new parameters when every guilty finding is for an offense after December 27, 2023\. These records give trial dates, not offense dates. May 2024 includes cases under both sets of rules, and the records cannot show whether the changes affected any figure. Evidence, plea terms, and nonjudicial punishment are not recorded.

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 2024 (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)
- [April 2024 at Army Courts-Martial: 46 Cases](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-courts-martial-april-2024/) (previous / next)
- [Army Courts-Martial, June 2024: The Month in Review](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-courts-martial-june-2024/) (previous / next)
- [The Army Court-Martial Year, 2024](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-courts-martial-2024-year-in-review/) (the whole year)
- [April 2023 at Army Courts-Martial: 49 Cases](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-courts-martial-april-2023/)
- [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: [April 2024 at Army Courts-Martial: 46 Cases](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-courts-martial-april-2024/)Next: [Army Courts-Martial, June 2024: The Month in Review](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-courts-martial-june-2024/) →

**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.