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# 2023: Experience of Army Trial Counsel of Record
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-trial-counsel-2023/
- Published: 2026-10-30T05:29:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-30T05:29:00.000Z
- Description: 116 of the 239 trial counsel of record in 2023 Army courts-martial (49%) had no earlier case in this data. Most government teams had 2 lawyers, and the median most experienced trial counsel had 7 prior cases.
- Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart
- Tags: Understanding Trends, Army

[Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [Counsel Experience](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/counsel-experience/) › Army 2023

**Short answer:** 116 of the 239 trial counsel of record in 2023 Army courts-martial (49%) had no earlier case in this data. Most government teams had 2 lawyers, and the median most experienced trial counsel had 7 prior cases. Article 128b (domestic violence) was charged in 21% of the 469 cases, compared with 13% in 2022.

Based on 469 cases · 2023 · Army records · data updated October 24, 2026

## 49% of Trial Counsel Were New to the Data

239 different trial counsel of record appear in Army cases tried in 2023\. For 116 of them (49%), there is no earlier case in this data.

Most had only a few cases in 2023\. 96 appeared in 2 to 4 cases and 89 in 1 case. 45 appeared in 5 to 9 cases, and 9 appeared in 10 or more.

A trial counsel who is new to this data may still have tried cases before the records start, so a first case here is not always a lawyer’s first court-martial.

| Cases as trial counsel in 2023 | Lawyers |
| ------------------------------ | ------- |
| 1 case                         | 89      |
| 2 to 4 cases                   | 96      |
| 5 to 9 cases                   | 45      |
| 10 or more cases               | 9       |

## Counting Prior Cases

A lawyer's experience here is the number of Army courts-martial in this data on which that lawyer had already been counsel of record, for the government or the defense, before the trial date. A higher count does not mean more skill. Any cases tried before the records begin are missing from the count.

Because the records do not say who led a team, each case is counted by its most experienced trial counsel of record. This page does not rate or rank any lawyer.

## Government Teams and Their Most Experienced Member

414 of the 469 cases list at least one trial counsel of record. 301 of those listed 2 trial counsel, 102 listed 1, and 11 listed 3 or more.

The median prior-case count of the most experienced trial counsel was 7\. The 5 to 9 band held 131 cases (32%), the 10 to 19 band 118 (29%), and the 1 to 4 band 109 (26%). 30 cases (7%) had a trial counsel with 20 or more prior cases. In 26 cases (6%), no trial counsel on the team had an earlier case in this data.

| Prior cases (most experienced trial counsel) | Cases | Share |
| -------------------------------------------- | ----- | ----- |
| No prior cases                               | 26    | 6%    |
| 1 to 4                                       | 109   | 26%   |
| 5 to 9                                       | 131   | 32%   |
| 10 to 19                                     | 118   | 29%   |
| 20 or more                                   | 30    | 7%    |

## Contested Outcomes in Each Band

133 contested cases reached a verdict and list a trial counsel. In a contested case the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. A full acquittal means not guilty of every charge, and a partial acquittal means not guilty of at least one charge or specification but guilty of another.

The 10 to 19 band, the largest with 44 cases, had the highest full-acquittal rate, 50%, with 39% partial acquittals. The 1 to 4 band had 36% full acquittals and 45% partial acquittals across 33 cases. The 5 to 9 band had 32% and 40% across 40 cases.

In the 1 to 4 and 5 to 9 bands, partial acquittals were more common than full acquittals. In the 10 to 19 band, full acquittals were more common.

The 20 or more band had 12 cases, with 33% full acquittals and 33% partial acquittals. Of the 4 cases with no experienced trial counsel, 1 of 4 ended in each.

The table describes outcomes only. The records do not show the evidence, the plea offers, or who did the work, so they cannot show that a trial counsel's experience affected a verdict.

| Prior cases (most experienced trial counsel) | Contested cases | Full acquittal | Partial acquittal |
| -------------------------------------------- | --------------- | -------------- | ----------------- |
| No prior cases                               | 4               | 1 of 4         | 1 of 4            |
| 1 to 4                                       | 33              | 36%            | 45%               |
| 5 to 9                                       | 40              | 32%            | 40%               |
| 10 to 19                                     | 44              | 50%            | 39%               |
| 20 or more                                   | 12              | 33%            | 33%               |

## Fewer Contested Cases Than in 2022

31% of 2023 Army cases were contested, compared with 36% in 2022\. Because the verdict table counts only contested cases, the number of cases in each band depends on how many were contested.

The other cases were resolved by guilty pleas or have no plea recorded. A guilty plea leads to a conviction on the charges pleaded to, so those cases do not appear in the verdict table.

## Charges That Changed

Article 128b (domestic violence) was charged in 21% of 2023 cases. In 2022 it was charged in 13%. The records place this change in the same year as the lower contested share and cannot show whether they are connected.

## Matching the Defense

414 cases list lawyers on both sides. Comparing the most experienced lawyer on each side, the trial counsel had more prior cases in 193 cases (47%) and fewer in 196 (47%). The rest were tied.

## How Complete the Records Are

Army counsel names are nearly complete from 2021\. The counsel pages begin two years later, so most lawyers have earlier cases in the data. Spelling variants are merged with the same method as Learn Your Lawyer. Navy and Marine Corps records list counsel only from mid-2025, mostly by surname, and are not included.

The records cover cases that reached a courtroom. Nonjudicial punishment, administrative separation, and cases with no action are not in them. The evidence and the plea terms are not described.

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

### How We Counted

Every Army court-martial with a trial date in 2023 (469 cases). Counsel of record are as listed in the public records.

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

- [Counsel Experience](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/counsel-experience/) (hub)
- [Army Courts-Martial: Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-courts-martial/) (hub)
- [2024: Experience of Army Trial Counsel of Record](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-trial-counsel-2024/)
- [How Many Prior Courts-Martial Had Army Defense Counsel Tried? 2023](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-defense-counsel-2023/)
- [How Many Prior Courts-Martial Had Army Defense Counsel Tried? 2024](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-defense-counsel-2024/)
- [How Many Prior Courts-Martial Had Army Defense Counsel Tried? 2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-defense-counsel-2025/)
- [How Many Prior Courts-Martial Had Army Trial Counsel Tried? 2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-trial-counsel-2025/)
- [2018: Experience of Air Force Defense Counsel of Record](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-defense-counsel-2018/)
- [2020: Experience of Air Force Trial Counsel of Record](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-trial-counsel-2020/)
- [Search every case in Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/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](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.