> ## 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. # General Article Plus Solicitation: Courts-Martial Charging Articles 134 and 82 - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-134-and-article-82-charged-together/ - Published: 2026-10-28T06:55:14.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-28T08:19:37.000Z - Description: Courts-martial that charged both the general article (Article 134) and solicitation (Article 82) had much longer sentences than general article cases overall. - Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart - Tags: Understanding Trends, Article 134, Article 82 [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 82 **Short answer:** Courts-martial that charged both the general article (Article 134) and solicitation (Article 82) had much longer sentences than general article cases overall. In 76 Army, Navy, and Marine Corps cases from 2013–2026, the median confinement was 4 years, compared with 1.3 years for all Article 134 cases. Only 1 of 15 contested cases that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal (7%), compared with 18%. Based on 76 cases · 2013–2026 · Army, Navy, and Marine Corps records · data updated October 24, 2026 ## Confinement Measured in Years Confinement was part of 91% of the 74 convictions. The median confinement was 4 years, and a quarter of the terms were 9 years or longer. Across all Army, Navy, and Marine Corps cases charging Article 134, the median was 1.3 years. These are adjudged sentences: the sentences announced at trial, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each sentence covers every charge in the case, not only the solicitation or general article charge. ## Almost Half Were 5 Years or More Terms of 5 years or more followed 33 convictions, or 45%, compared with 13% across all general article cases. Terms of more than 1 year but under 5 years followed 25 convictions (34%), about the same as the comparison share of 35%. In total, 58 of 74 convictions (78%) included more than 1 year of confinement, compared with 48% for all Article 134 cases. Short sentences were uncommon. Terms under 6 months followed 3 convictions (4%), compared with 21%. Terms from 6 months to 1 year followed 6 (8%), compared with 18%. Another 7 convictions (9%) included no confinement, compared with 13%. | Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, all Army, Navy, and Marine Corps cases charging Article 134 | | ------------------------------- | ----------- | ---------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ | | No confinement | 7 | 9% | 13% | | Under 6 months | 3 | 4% | 21% | | 6 months to 1 year | 6 | 8% | 18% | | More than 1 year, under 5 years | 25 | 34% | 35% | | 5 years or more | 33 | 45% | 13% | ## Other Charges in These Cases Article 120b (child sexual abuse) was charged in 33 of the 76 cases. Article 80 (attempt) was charged in 25, and Article 120 (sexual assault) and Article 128 (assault) in 11 each. These counts show what else was charged. They do not show why sentences were long. The records do not connect any one charge to any part of a sentence, and a single case can include several of these charges. ## Most Cases Ended in a Guilty Plea Of the 57 records that list a plea, 42 were guilty pleas and 15 were not-guilty or mixed pleas. A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. The contested share here, 26%, is the same as the 26% for all general article cases. Of the 15 contested cases with a verdict, 1 ended in a full acquittal (7%) and 6 in a partial acquittal (40%). In a partial acquittal, the accused is found not guilty of at least one charge or specification and guilty of another. The full-acquittal rate is lower than the 18% for all Article 134 cases. ## Most Enlisted Convictions Included a Punitive Discharge Of 68 convicted enlisted members, 62 received a punitive discharge. These included 46 dishonorable discharges, the most severe type, and 16 bad-conduct discharges. Across all general article cases, the share was 78%. The records list 5 convicted officers or warrant officers, and 4 were dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge can still be followed by an administrative separation. ## Most Cases Were General Courts-Martial General courts-martial heard 68 of the 76 cases (89%), compared with 76% for all Article 134 cases. A special court-martial caps confinement at 1 year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. So the long terms and dishonorable discharges above came from general courts-martial. Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 64% of the accused, NCOs 28%, and officers 8%. For all general article cases, junior enlisted members made up 55%, so this group is somewhat more junior. ## Cases by Year and Installation The 76 cases were tried from December 2013 to September 2026\. The yearly counts varied. There were 10 cases in 2017, 9 each in 2021 and 2022, and 12 in 2024\. The 2026 count of 9 covers only part of the year. Camp Lejeune, North Carolina had 10 of these cases, Bremerton, Washington had 8, and Okinawa, Japan had 7\. Camp Pendleton, California had 6, and Fort Hood had 4\. These five installations account for 46% of the total. Larger installations try more cases of every kind. ## What These Records Do Not Cover 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 sexual assault. Both changes depend on the offense date, which these records do not give. So trials from 2024 on include cases under both the old and new rules. Matters handled by nonjudicial punishment, administrative separation, or no action are not counted. The records do not describe the evidence or the plea 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 82 (76 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 82 (Soliciting): Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-82-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 Attempt: Courts-Martial Charging Articles 134 and 80](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-134-and-article-80-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.