October 2022 at Army Courts-Martial: 42 Cases
The Army tried 42 courts-martial in October 2022. Of 17 contested cases that reached a verdict, 10 ended in a full acquittal (59%), much higher than the 38% for the Army across 2022. Article 120 (sexual assault) was charged in 33% of cases, compared with 26% for the year.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Trends › By Year › October 2022
Short answer: The Army tried 42 courts-martial in October 2022. Of 17 contested cases that reached a verdict, 10 ended in a full acquittal (59%), much higher than the 38% for the Army across 2022. Article 120 (sexual assault) was charged in 33% of cases, compared with 26% for the year.
Full Acquittals in Most Contested Cases
A contested case is one where the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. October 2022 had 17 contested cases that reached a verdict. Of those, 10 ended in a full acquittal. The full-acquittal rate was 59%, much higher than the 38% for the year.
Another 6 contested cases 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.
A Higher Contested Share
Pleas are recorded in 41 of the 42 cases: 24 guilty pleas and 17 contested cases. The contested share was 41%, compared with 36% for the Army in 2022.
Of the 24 guilty pleas, 23 are recorded with a plea agreement and 1 has no entry. Army records show whether an agreement existed, not its terms.
Sexual Assault Was the Most Common Charge
All 42 records list charges. A case is counted once under each article. Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) was charged in 14 cases. Article 128b (domestic violence) was charged in 19% of cases, compared with 13%. Article 120b (child sexual abuse) was charged in 14%, compared with 8%. Article 80 (attempts) was charged in 12%, compared with 6%.
Article 128 (assault) was charged much less often than for the year: 5 cases, or 12%, compared with 27%. Article 112a (drug offenses) was also charged less often: 10%, compared with 13%.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the Army for all of 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 14 | 33% | 26% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 9 | 21% | 18% |
| Art. 128b Domestic violence | 8 | 19% | 13% |
| Art. 134 General article | 8 | 19% | 21% |
| Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child | 6 | 14% | 8% |
| Art. 80 Attempts | 5 | 12% | 6% |
| Art. 128 Assault | 5 | 12% | 27% |
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 4 | 10% | 13% |
Sexual Assault Had the Lowest Conviction Rate
Of the 14 cases charging Article 120, 7 ended in a conviction on that article (50%). The median confinement for those convictions was 1.6 years. That was the lowest conviction rate among the most common charges.
All 8 cases charging Article 134 (general article) ended in a conviction on that article, with a median of 2.4 years. Article 128b cases ended in a conviction in 7 of 8 (median 5 months). Article 92 (orders violations) cases ended in a conviction in 7 of 9 (median 3 months). A case can include a conviction on one article and an acquittal on another, so these rows overlap.
| Article | Cases charging it | Convicted of it (share) | Median confinement when convicted of it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 14 | 7 (50%) | 1.6 years |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 9 | 7 (7 of 9) | 3 months |
| Art. 128b Domestic violence | 8 | 7 (7 of 8) | 5 months |
| Art. 134 General article | 8 | 8 (8 of 8) | 2.4 years |
General Courts-Martial and Long Terms
General courts-martial made up 37 of the 42 cases (88%), compared with 75% for the year. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including a dishonorable discharge. A special court-martial is limited to one year of confinement.
Of 32 convictions, 84% included confinement. The median confinement was 6 months, the same as for the Army in 2022. A quarter of terms were 2.3 years or longer. More than one year was given in 11 of 32 convictions (34%), compared with 27% for the year. Terms of more than 1 year but under 5 years made up 28%, compared with 20%.
These are adjudged sentences. They cover all charges in the case and come before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, the Army for all of 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 5 | 16% | 16% |
| Under 6 months | 13 | 41% | 41% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 3 | 9% | 16% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 9 | 28% | 20% |
| 5 years or more | 2 | 6% | 7% |
Discharges After Conviction
Of 28 convicted enlisted members, 21 received a punitive discharge: 13 bad-conduct discharges and 8 dishonorable discharges. For the Army in 2022, the share was 76%. Of 3 convicted officers or warrant officers, 2 were dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge can still lead to an administrative separation.
Rank, Forum, and Installation
The accused were 21 junior enlisted members, 16 NCOs, and 4 officers. This group was more senior than the Army for the year.
A military judge alone decided 31 cases. Of cases with a forum listed, members heard 24%: 8 enlisted panels and 2 officer panels. Members heard 9 of the 16 contested cases with a forum listed (56%). The accused usually chooses the forum.
Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Fort Bragg tried 5 cases each, and Fort Hood, Fort Bliss, and Fort Stewart tried 4 each. Together these installations account for 52% of the month. Larger installations try more cases of every kind.
Compared With October 2021
October 2021 had 36 cases. October 2022 had 42. The contested share was 41%, compared with 28% in October 2021. Full acquittals in contested cases that reached a verdict were 10 of 17, compared with 3 of 10. The general court-martial share was 88%, compared with 64%. Enlisted punitive discharges were 75%, compared with 67%. The median confinement was 6 months, compared with 7 months. Monthly groups are small, and a few cases can change these figures.
| October 2021 | October 2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 36 | 42 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 28% | 41% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 3 of 10 | 10 of 17 |
| Convictions with confinement | 82% | 84% |
| Median confinement | 7 months | 6 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 67% | 75% |
| General courts-martial | 64% | 88% |
What the Records Leave Out
Only cases that reached a courtroom are included. Nonjudicial punishment, administrative separations, the evidence, and the 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 October 2022 (42 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, September 2022: The Month in Review (previous / next)
- November 2022 at Army Courts-Martial: 46 Cases (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.