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# Articles 131b and 90 in the Same Case: What the Records Show
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-131b-and-article-90-charged-together/
- Published: 2026-10-30T08:15:21.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-03T01:45:06.000Z
- Description: The records hold 29 Army, Navy, and Marine Corps courts-martial from 2014–2026 that charged both Article 131b (obstruction, numbered since 2019) and Article 90 (disobeying an officer).
- Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart
- Tags: Understanding Trends, Article 131b, Article 90

[Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [By Offense](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-offense/) › [Article 131b](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-131b-courts-martial/) › With Article 90

**Short answer:** The records hold 29 Army, Navy, and Marine Corps courts-martial from 2014–2026 that charged both Article 131b (obstruction, numbered since 2019) and Article 90 (disobeying an officer). The median confinement was 1.2 years, compared with 10 months in all Army, Navy, and Marine Corps cases charging Article 131b. 62% of convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge, lower than the 71% in that group.

Based on 29 cases · 2014–2026 · Army, Navy, and Marine Corps records · data updated October 24, 2026

## Most Convictions Brought More Than 1 Year

15 of the 27 convictions (56%) brought more than 1 year of confinement. In all Army, Navy, and Marine Corps cases charging Article 131b, the share was 34%. Most of these longer terms were between 1 and 5 years.

Confinement was part of 89% of the convictions, and the median term was 1.2 years. A quarter of the sentences that included confinement were 3 years or longer. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal.

| Adjudged confinement            | Convictions | Share here | Share, all Army, Navy, and Marine Corps cases charging Article 131b |
| ------------------------------- | ----------- | ---------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| No confinement                  | 3           | 11%        | 15%                                                                 |
| Under 6 months                  | 6           | 22%        | 30%                                                                 |
| 6 months to 1 year              | 3           | 11%        | 21%                                                                 |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 14          | 52%        | 24%                                                                 |
| 5 years or more                 | 1           | 4%         | 10%                                                                 |

## Fewer Punitive Discharges Despite Longer Terms

15 of 24 convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge: 8 bad-conduct discharges and 7 dishonorable discharges. The comparison share was 71%.

3 convicted officers or warrant officers appear here, and 2 were dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.

## Contested Cases and Verdicts

28 of the 29 records list the plea. 17 accused pleaded guilty and 11 entered not-guilty or mixed pleas, a contested share of 39%, compared with 34% in all Army, Navy, and Marine Corps cases charging Article 131b.

2 of the 11 contested cases that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal (18%), lower than the 23% in the comparison group. 6 more ended in a partial acquittal, with a guilty finding on at least one charge and a not-guilty finding on another.

## Assault and Domestic Violence Charges

All 29 cases charged at least 1 other article. Besides Article 90 (disobeying an officer) in every case, the most common were Article 128 (assault) in 11 cases, Article 134 (general article) in 10, Article 92 (orders violation) in 8, and Article 128b (domestic violence, numbered since 2019) in 8.

## Who Was Charged

Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 52% of the accused, NCOs 38%, and officers 10%. In the comparison group, junior enlisted members were 55%.

20 of the 29 cases were general courts-martial (69%), and the rest were special courts-martial. A special court-martial is capped at 1 year of confinement and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.

## Installations

Camp Pendleton, California, Fort Bliss, and Fort Irwin had 3 cases each. Fort Bragg and Joint Base Lewis-McChord had 2 each. Larger installations try more cases of every kind, so these counts do not show a higher rate at any base.

## 2024 Had the Most Cases

The trials ran from April 2014 to August 2026\. 2024 had 10 cases, more than any other year, and 2021 had 6\. Most earlier years had 1 or none.

The Military Justice Act of 2016 took effect on January 1, 2019\. Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel decide whether to prosecute covered offenses such as domestic violence. The records give trial dates, not offense dates, so they cannot show which rules applied to the 2024 cases. The records also do not show the evidence, the plea terms, or conduct handled outside a court-martial.

Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: [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 131b and Article 90 (29 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 131b (Obstruction, Numbered Since 2019): Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-131b-courts-martial/) (hub)
- [Article 90 (Willfully Disobeying Superior Officer): Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-90-courts-martial/) (hub)
- [Articles 131b and 92 in the Same Case: What the Records Show](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-131b-and-article-92-charged-together/)
- [When Article 131b and Article 134 Are Charged Together, How Do Cases End?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-131b-and-article-134-charged-together/)
- [Articles 131b and 81 in the Same Case: What the Records Show](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-131b-and-article-81-charged-together/)
- [How Has Article 131b Changed in Army Courts-Martial Since 2021?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-131b-trend-2021-2025/)
- [Air Force Article 131b Cases by the Numbers, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-131b-trend-2016-2025/)
- [Search every case in Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/) (members)

**Compare: federal court.** [Obstruction of Justice and Perjury: Federal vs. Court-Martial Sentences](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-obstruction-perjury-vs-courts-martial/)

**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.