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# General Article Plus Attempt: Courts-Martial Charging Articles 134 and 80
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-134-and-article-80-charged-together/
- Published: 2026-10-28T06:55:05.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-28T08:19:19.000Z
- Description: Cases that charged the general article (Article 134) together with attempt (Article 80) had long sentences and frequent punitive discharges.
- Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart
- Tags: Understanding Trends, Article 134, Article 80

[Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [By Offense](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-offense/) › [Article 134](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-134-courts-martial/) › With Article 80

**Short answer:** Cases that charged the general article (Article 134) together with attempt (Article 80) had long sentences and frequent punitive discharges. In 150 Army, Navy, and Marine Corps courts-martial from 2013–2026, the median confinement was 2.4 years, compared with 1.3 years for all Article 134 cases. A punitive discharge followed 88% of enlisted convictions, compared with 78%.

Based on 150 cases · 2013–2026 · Army, Navy, and Marine Corps records · data updated October 24, 2026

## More Than a Quarter of Sentences Were 5 Years or More

Of 144 convictions, 39 (27%) included 5 years or more of confinement. Across all Army, Navy, and Marine Corps cases charging Article 134, the share was 13%. A quarter of the sentences that included confinement were 6 years or longer.

Confinement was part of 132 of the 144 convictions. The median confinement was 2.4 years, compared with 1.3 years for all general article cases. These are adjudged sentences, set at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each covers every charge in the case.

## Sentences by Length

Terms of more than 1 year followed 100 of 144 convictions (69%), compared with 48% for all Article 134 cases. The most common length was more than 1 year but under 5 years: 61 convictions (42%), compared with 35%.

Short sentences were less common. Only 11 convictions (8%) included under 6 months of confinement, compared with 21% in the comparison group. Another 12 (8%) included no confinement, compared with 13% across all general article cases.

| Adjudged confinement            | Convictions | Share here | Share, all Army, Navy, and Marine Corps cases charging Article 134 |
| ------------------------------- | ----------- | ---------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| No confinement                  | 12          | 8%         | 13%                                                                |
| Under 6 months                  | 11          | 8%         | 21%                                                                |
| 6 months to 1 year              | 21          | 15%        | 18%                                                                |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 61          | 42%        | 35%                                                                |
| 5 years or more                 | 39          | 27%        | 13%                                                                |

## Other Charges in These Cases

Article 120b (child sexual abuse) was charged in 46 of the 150 cases. Article 120 (sexual assault) was charged in 27, Article 128 (assault) in 26, and Article 82 (solicitation) in 25\. These counts describe the cases in this group. They do not explain any outcome.

A sentence covers every finding in a case. So the long terms above cover all the charges, not only the attempt or general article charges.

## Almost All Cases Went to General Courts-Martial

General courts-martial heard 137 of the cases and special courts-martial heard 13\. The general court-martial share, 91%, compares with 76% for all Article 134 cases. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including a dishonorable discharge. A special court-martial is limited to 1 year of confinement.

At general courts-martial, confinement followed 92% of convictions, and the median confinement was 2.5 years. At special courts-martial, confinement followed 83% of convictions, and the median was 6 months.

## Discharges and Dismissals

Enlisted members received 79 dishonorable discharges and 39 bad-conduct discharges. A punitive discharge followed 88% of enlisted convictions, compared with 78% for all general article cases.

All 9 convicted officers or warrant officers in this group were dismissed. Dismissal is the officer equivalent of a punitive discharge. When a sentence has no punitive discharge, an administrative separation can still follow.

## Pleas and Verdicts

The plea is listed in 125 of the 150 records: 88 guilty pleas and 37 contested cases. A contested case is one where the accused pleaded not guilty to at least one charge. The contested share, 30%, is slightly higher than the 26% for all Article 134 cases.

Of the 37 contested cases that reached a verdict, 5 ended in a full acquittal. Another 13 ended in a partial acquittal, with an acquittal on at least one charge or specification and a conviction on another. The full-acquittal rate, 14%, is lower than the 18% for all general article cases.

## Rank, Years, and Installations

The accused were 85 junior enlisted members, 53 NCOs, and 10 officers. This rank mix is similar to all Article 134 cases in these services. So the longer sentences here are not matched by an unusually senior or junior group of accused.

The cases were tried from October 2013 to September 2026\. Each year before 2017 had fewer than 10 cases. There were 30 cases in 2021, and between 11 and 17 each year from 2022 through 2025\. The 2026 count of 10 covers only part of the year.

Camp Lejeune, North Carolina had 14 of these cases, Norfolk, Virginia had 11, and Joint Base Lewis-McChord had 9\. San Diego, California and Bremerton, Washington had 8 each. These five installations account for 33% of the total. Larger installations try more cases of every kind.

## Limits of These Figures

The Military Justice Act of 2016 changed court-martial rules on January 1, 2019\. Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel decide whether to prosecute covered offenses such as sexual assault. The records give trial dates, not offense dates, so they cannot place each case under the old or new rules.

Nonjudicial punishment and administrative separations are not included. The records also do not describe the evidence or the plea agreement terms.

For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see [Article 134 on the law firm's website](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-134/?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 134 and Article 80 (150 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 134 (General Article): Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-134-courts-martial/) (hub)
- [Article 80 (Attempts): Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-80-courts-martial/) (hub)
- [Articles 134 and 92 in the Same Case: What the Records Show](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-134-and-article-92-charged-together/)
- [General Article Plus Solicitation: Courts-Martial Charging Articles 134 and 82](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-134-and-article-82-charged-together/)
- [When Article 134 and Article 90 Are Charged Together, How Do Cases End?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-134-and-article-90-charged-together/)
- [Fewer or More? General Article Charges at Army Courts-Martial, 2021–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-134-trend-2021-2025/)
- [Air Force Article 134 Cases by the Numbers, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-134-trend-2016-2025/)
- [Article 134 explained on the law firm's website](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-134/?ref=bodiesburied.com)
- [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.