> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.bodiesburied.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Drug Plus General Article: Courts-Martial Charging Articles 112a and 134 - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-112a-and-article-134-charged-together/ - Published: 2026-10-28T06:55:17.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-03T01:47:18.000Z - Description: The records hold 67 Army, Navy, and Marine Corps courts-martial from 2014–2025 that charged both Article 112a (drug) and Article 134 (general article). The median confinement was 1.2 years, compared with 5 months for all Article 112a cases in those services. - Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart - Tags: Understanding Trends, Article 112a, Article 134 [Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [By Offense](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-offense/) › [Article 112a](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-112a-courts-martial/) › With Article 134 **Short answer:** The records hold 67 Army, Navy, and Marine Corps courts-martial from 2014–2025 that charged both Article 112a (drug) and Article 134 (general article). The median confinement was 1.2 years, compared with 5 months for all Article 112a cases in those services. Only 1 of 13 contested cases that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal (8%), compared with 40% in the broader group. Based on 67 cases · 2014–2025 · Army, Navy, and Marine Corps records · data updated October 24, 2026 ## Median Confinement Was More Than a Year The median confinement in these cases was 1.2 years. Confinement was part of 94% of the 66 convictions. For all Army, Navy, and Marine Corps cases charging Article 112a, the median was 5 months. A quarter of the sentences here were 3 years or longer. These are adjudged sentences, imposed at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each covers every charge of conviction in the case. ## Sentences by Length Confinement of more than one year was given in 36 of 66 convictions (55%), compared with 16% in the comparison group. The largest group was more than 1 year but under 5 years: 32 convictions (48%), compared with 13% for all Article 112a cases. Only a general court-martial can adjudge more than one year of confinement. A special court-martial is capped at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. | Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, all Army, Navy, and Marine Corps cases charging Article 112a | | ------------------------------- | ----------- | ---------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | | No confinement | 4 | 6% | 10% | | Under 6 months | 11 | 17% | 47% | | 6 months to 1 year | 15 | 23% | 27% | | More than 1 year, under 5 years | 32 | 48% | 13% | | 5 years or more | 4 | 6% | 3% | ## Most Cases Were General Courts-Martial Of the 67 cases, 48 were general courts-martial (72%) and 19 were special courts-martial. The median confinement was 1.8 years at general courts-martial and 4 months at special courts-martial. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including long confinement and a dishonorable discharge. The contested share was 35% at general courts-martial and 0% at special courts-martial. None of the special courts-martial with a plea recorded was contested. ## What Happened in Contested Cases? A contested case is one in which the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. The plea is listed in 52 records: 39 were guilty pleas and 13 were contested. The contested share was 25%, compared with 18% for all Article 112a cases. Of the 13 contested cases that reached a verdict, 1 ended in a full acquittal (8%). The rate in the comparison group was 40%. Another 9 (69%) were partial acquittals, where the accused was found not guilty of at least one charge or specification and guilty of another. ## Dishonorable Discharges Were Common Of 61 enlisted members convicted, 50 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (82%). That is higher than the 70% for all Article 112a cases. Of those 50, 26 were dishonorable discharges, which only a general court-martial can impose. The records list 4 convicted officers or warrant officers. 3 of them were dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation. ## Who Was Charged? Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 76% of the accused. That is the same share as in all Army, Navy, and Marine Corps cases charging Article 112a. NCOs were 18% and officers were 6%. By rank, this group was the same as drug cases overall. Its sentences, discharges, and court levels were different. With 4 officers in the group, most of the sentence and discharge figures describe enlisted members. ## Other Charges in These Cases Article 134, the general article, covers a range of conduct. Many of these cases included other charges too. Article 92 (orders violation) was charged in 19 cases and Article 128 (assault) in 14\. Article 131b (obstruction, numbered since 2019) and Article 90 (disobeying an officer) were each charged in 11\. The sentences above cover all convictions in each case. ## Most Cases Were Tried in 2021 The 67 trials took place from September 2014 to December 2025\. Most years had few cases. 2015 and 2019 had 1 each. 2021 had 19, the highest count. There were 7 cases in 2022, 7 in 2023, 8 in 2024, and 4 in 2025. Fort Bliss and Camp Lejeune, North Carolina had 8 cases each. San Diego, California and Camp Pendleton, California had 4 each, and Fort Riley had 3\. These installations account for 40% of the cases. Larger installations try more cases of every kind. ## What the Records Do Not Show The Military Justice Act of 2016 took effect on January 1, 2019\. Since December 28, 2023, further changes moved some prosecution and sentencing decisions. Which rules applied to a case depends on the offense date. The records give only trial dates, so they cannot show whether either change affected these outcomes. The records also do not include the evidence, the plea terms, or matters handled through nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation. For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see [Article 112a on the law firm's website](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-112a-drug-offenses/?ref=bodiesburied.com). Dates and sources for the law changes: [UCMJ change timeline](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/ucmj-change-timeline/). ### How We Counted Army, Navy, and Marine Corps courts-martial that charged both Article 112a and Article 134 (67 cases). Air Force cases are left out because Air Force records rarely list the charges in acquittals. 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 - [Article 112a (Wrongful Use, Possession of Controlled Substances): Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-112a-courts-martial/) (hub) - [Article 134 (General Article): Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-134-courts-martial/) (hub) - [Drug Plus Orders Violation: Courts-Martial Charging Articles 112a and 92](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-112a-and-article-92-charged-together/) - [When Article 112a and Article 81 Are Charged Together, How Do Cases End?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-112a-and-article-81-charged-together/) - [Drug Plus AWOL: Courts-Martial Charging Articles 112a and 86](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-112a-and-article-86-charged-together/) - [Army Article 112a Cases by the Numbers, 2021–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-112a-trend-2021-2025/) - [Are Air Force Drug Courts-Martial Disappearing? Article 112a, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-112a-trend-2016-2025/) - [Article 112a explained on the law firm's website](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-112a-drug-offenses/?ref=bodiesburied.com) - [Search every case in Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/) (members) **Compare: federal court.** [Federal Law Has No Crime of Drug Use: How Article 112a Cases Compare](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-no-crime-of-drug-use-article-112a/) · [Drug Distribution and Importation: Federal vs. Court-Martial Sentences, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-distribution-importation-vs-article-112a/) **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.