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# Army Courts-Martial, September 2022: The Month in Review
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-courts-martial-september-2022/
- Published: 2026-10-28T08:11:13.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-30T08:06:44.000Z
- Description: The Army tried 29 courts-martial in September 2022, and only 24% were contested, compared with 36% for the Army across 2022. Article 128 (assault) was charged in 32% of cases (compared with 27%). All 9 assault cases ended in a conviction on that article.
- Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart
- Tags: Understanding Trends, Army

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

**Short answer:** The Army tried 29 courts-martial in September 2022, and only 24% were contested, compared with 36% for the Army across 2022\. Article 128 (assault) was charged in 32% of cases (compared with 27%). All 9 assault cases ended in a conviction on that article.

Based on 29 cases · September 2022 · Army records · data updated October 24, 2026

## Guilty Pleas in Most Cases

A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. In September 2022, 22 accused pleaded guilty and 7 contested the charges. The contested share was lower than for the Army as a whole that year.

Of the 22 guilty pleas, 20 are recorded with a plea agreement and 2 have no entry. Army records show whether there was an agreement, not what it said.

Of the 7 contested cases that reached a verdict, 3 ended in a full acquittal. In a full acquittal, the accused is found not guilty of every charge.

## Assault and Sexual Assault Charges

Of the 29 records, 28 list charges. A case is counted once under each article it includes. Article 128 was the most common charge, in 9 cases. Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) was next, in 8 cases (29%, compared with 26% for the year).

Several articles were charged less often than for the year. Article 134 (general article) was charged in 11% of cases, compared with 21%. Article 112a (drug offenses) was charged in 7%, compared with 13%. Article 92 (orders violations) was charged in 14%, compared with 18%. Article 115 (communicating threats) was charged in 7%, about the same as the 6% for 2022\. Article 131b (obstructing justice) was charged in 7%, compared with 5%.

| 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                                   | 9     | 32%        | 27%                             |
| [Art. 120](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-120-sexual-assault/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Rape and sexual assault                            | 8     | 29%        | 26%                             |
| [Art. 92](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-92/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Failure to obey order or regulation         | 4     | 14%        | 18%                             |
| [Art. 134](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-134/?ref=bodiesburied.com) General article                           | 3     | 11%        | 21%                             |
| [Art. 112a](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-112a-drug-offenses/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 2     | 7%         | 13%                             |
| [Art. 120b](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-120b/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Rape and sexual assault of a child      | 2     | 7%         | 8%                              |
| [Art. 115](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-115/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Communicating threats                     | 2     | 7%         | 6%                              |
| Art. 131b Obstructing justice                                                                                                                      | 2     | 7%         | 5%                              |

## Conviction Rates for the 2 Most Common Articles

All 9 cases charging assault ended in a conviction on Article 128\. The median confinement for those convictions was 7 months. Article 120 cases ended in a conviction on that article in 4 of 8, with a median of 11 months.

These rows can overlap. One case can include a conviction on one article and an acquittal on another.

| Article                          | Cases charging it | Convicted of it (share) | Median confinement when convicted of it |
| -------------------------------- | ----------------- | ----------------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| Art. 128 Assault                 | 9                 | 9 (9 of 9)              | 7 months                                |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 8                 | 4 (4 of 8)              | 11 months                               |

## Most Terms in the Middle Range

Of 26 convictions, 88% included confinement. The median confinement was 6 months, the same as the Army's median for 2022\. A quarter of terms were 1 year or longer.

Terms from 6 months to 1 year made up 31% of convictions, compared with 16% for the year. Longer terms were less common. Only 5 of 26 convictions (19%) carried more than one year, compared with 27%. Terms of 5 years or more made up 4%, compared with 7%. Convictions with no confinement made up 12%, compared with 16%. Terms under 6 months made up 38%, compared with 41%.

These are adjudged sentences, set at trial for all charges in the case. Plea-agreement caps, clemency, and appeals can change them later.

| Adjudged confinement            | Convictions | Share here | Share, the Army for all of 2022 |
| ------------------------------- | ----------- | ---------- | ------------------------------- |
| No confinement                  | 3           | 12%        | 16%                             |
| Under 6 months                  | 10          | 38%        | 41%                             |
| 6 months to 1 year              | 8           | 31%        | 16%                             |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 4           | 15%        | 20%                             |
| 5 years or more                 | 1           | 4%         | 7%                              |

## More Punitive Discharges Than for the Year

For enlisted members, a punitive discharge is a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge. Of 25 convicted enlisted members, 20 received one (80%). That rate was higher than the 76% for the Army that year. Of those 20, 6 were dishonorable discharges.

The month had 1 convicted officer or warrant officer, who was dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.

## Forum, Court Level, and Rank

A military judge alone decided 22 of 29 cases (76%). Members heard 7: 6 enlisted panels and 1 officer panel. The accused usually chooses the forum. Guilty pleas are almost always heard by a judge alone.

General courts-martial made up 22 of 29 cases (76%, compared with 75% 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.

Junior enlisted members made up 55% of the accused, NCOs 41%, and officers 3%. Across the Army in 2022, junior enlisted members were 57%.

## Installations

Joint Base Lewis-McChord tried 4 cases, Fort Hood and Fort Campbell 3 each, and Fort Bliss and Fort Carson 2 each. Together these installations account for 48% of the 29 cases. Larger installations try more cases of every type.

## Compared With September 2021

September 2021 had 37 cases. September 2022 had 29\. The contested share was 24%, compared with 35% in September 2021\. Full acquittals in contested cases that reached a verdict were 3 of 7, compared with 8 of 13\. The median confinement was 6 months, compared with 10 months. Convictions that included confinement were 88%, compared with 76%. Enlisted punitive discharges were 80%, compared with 70%. The general court-martial share was 76%, compared with 73%. Monthly groups are small, and a few cases can change these figures.

|                                     | September 2021 | September 2022 |
| ----------------------------------- | -------------- | -------------- |
| Cases                               | 37             | 29             |
| Contested (of pleas recorded)       | 35%            | 24%            |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 8 of 13        | 3 of 7         |
| Convictions with confinement        | 76%            | 88%            |
| Median confinement                  | 10 months      | 6 months       |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted)       | 70%            | 80%            |
| General courts-martial              | 73%            | 76%            |

## What the Records Do Not Show

These records cover only cases that reached a courtroom. Nonjudicial punishment, administrative separations, and cases with no action are not included. The evidence and plea terms are also not included.

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 September 2022 (29 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 August 2022](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-courts-martial-august-2022/) (previous / next)
- [October 2022 at Army Courts-Martial: 42 Cases](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-courts-martial-october-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 August 2022](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-courts-martial-august-2022/)Next: [October 2022 at Army Courts-Martial: 42 Cases](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-courts-martial-october-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.