> ## 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. # What Was Tried at Beale AFB, California, 2019–2023? 28 Courts-Martial - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/beale-afb-california-courts-martial-2019-2023/ - Published: 2026-10-28T06:31:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-30T08:02:22.000Z - Description: Beale AFB, California held 28 courts-martial from 2019–2023. Article 134 (general article) was charged in 36% of cases, compared with 21% across the Air Force. The median confinement after conviction was 3 months, compared with 4 months across the Air Force. - Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart - Tags: Understanding Trends, Beale AFB, California, Air Force [Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [By Installation](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-installation/) › Beale AFB, California › 2019–2023 **Short answer:** Beale AFB, California held 28 courts-martial from 2019–2023\. Article 134 (general article) was charged in 36% of cases, compared with 21% across the Air Force. The median confinement after conviction was 3 months, compared with 4 months across the Air Force. Based on 28 cases · 2019–2023 · Air Force records · data updated October 24, 2026 ## Most of the Cases Were Tried in 2019 The 28 cases were tried from January 2019 through September 2023\. Most were tried in the first year. There were 18 cases in 2019, 3 in 2020, 1 in 2021, 2 in 2022, and 4 in 2023. These cases make up 2% of the 1,361 Air Force courts-martial in those years. The group is small, and most cases come from 1 year. A few cases can change any percentage on this page, so the figures describe these cases, not a lasting pattern. ## Drug Offenses and the General Article Were the Most Common Charges Charge lists cover 22 of the 28 cases. A case with several articles is counted under each one. Article 112a (drug use or possession) was the most common charge, in 45% of cases, compared with 41% across the Air Force. Article 134, the general article, was next, at 36%, compared with 21%. Article 107 (false official statements) was charged in 14% of cases, compared with 6% Air Force-wide. Article 121 (larceny) was charged in 9%, compared with 4%. Article 128 (assault) was less common here: 9%, compared with 19%. | UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the whole Air Force docket | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | ---------- | --------------------------------- | | [Art. 112a](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-112a-drug-offenses/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 10 | 45% | 41% | | [Art. 134](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-134/?ref=bodiesburied.com) General article | 8 | 36% | 21% | | [Art. 92](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-92/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Failure to obey order or regulation | 4 | 18% | 16% | | [Art. 107](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-107/?ref=bodiesburied.com) False official statements | 3 | 14% | 6% | | [Art. 128](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-128/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Assault | 2 | 9% | 19% | | [Art. 121](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-121/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Larceny | 2 | 9% | 4% | | [Art. 120b](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-120b/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Rape and sexual assault of a child | 1 | 5% | 7% | | Art. 85 Desertion | 1 | 5% | 1% | ## Convictions and Sentences on the Most Common Charges All 10 cases charging Article 112a ended in a conviction on that article, with a median confinement of 2 months. Of 8 cases charging Article 134, 7 ended in a conviction on it, with a median confinement of 11 months. Air Force records list charges mainly when there is a conviction. So these are counts, not conviction rates. A sentence covers every charge in the case, so a median listed for 1 article covers the whole case. | Article | Cases charging it | Convicted of it | Median confinement when convicted of it | | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------- | --------------- | --------------------------------------- | | Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 10 | 10 | 2 months | | Art. 134 General article | 8 | 7 | 11 months | ## How Often Did a Case End in a Full Acquittal? Of the 28 cases, 6 ended in a full acquittal (21%). Across the Air Force in the same years, the rate was 24%. This rate is measured against all cases, not only contested cases. Air Force records from 2016 to 2019 rarely list the plea when the accused pleaded guilty. A rate based only on contested cases would use incomplete plea data. ## Most Confinement Terms Were Short Of 22 convictions, 19 included confinement. The median confinement was 3 months, slightly shorter than the 4 months in the rest of the Air Force. A quarter of the sentences were 11 months or longer. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Terms under 6 months followed 59% of convictions, compared with 50% service-wide. Terms of more than 1 year followed 4 of 22 convictions (18%), less often than the 23% across the Air Force. Terms of 5 years or more followed 1 conviction. | Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, the rest of the Air Force | | ------------------------------- | ----------- | ---------- | -------------------------------- | | No confinement | 3 | 14% | 12% | | Under 6 months | 13 | 59% | 50% | | 6 months to 1 year | 2 | 9% | 15% | | More than 1 year, under 5 years | 3 | 14% | 17% | | 5 years or more | 1 | 5% | 6% | ## Sentences at Each Court Level Beale had 16 general courts-martial (57%, compared with 53% Air Force-wide) and 12 special courts-martial. The median confinement was 8 months at general courts-martial and 2 months at special courts-martial. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including a dishonorable discharge. A special court-martial caps confinement at 1 year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. Only a general court-martial can impose more than 1 year of confinement. ## Discharges After Conviction Of 20 convicted enlisted members, 11 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (55%). That is about the same as the 56% in the rest of the Air Force. Of those 11, 4 were dishonorable discharges. Of officers and warrant officers, 2 were convicted and 2 were dismissed. Bad-conduct and dishonorable discharges apply to enlisted members. Dismissal is the officer equivalent. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation. Administrative separations are not in these records. ## Panels, Rank, and Similar Bases A military judge alone decided 16 cases, enlisted panels decided 5, and officer panels decided 6\. Members heard 41% of cases, compared with 38% across the Air Force. The accused usually chooses whether a judge alone or members decide guilt. The accused were 16 junior enlisted members, 10 NCOs, and 2 officers. This group is more senior than all Air Force cases. Holloman AFB, New Mexico and Cannon AFB, New Mexico tried about the same number of cases. Holloman had the same 3-month median confinement as Beale. Cannon's median was 1.2 years. | Installation | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) | | ------------------------ | ----- | --------- | ----------------------------------- | ------------------ | ----------------------------- | | Beale AFB, California | 28 | 5 of 9 | 3 of 5 | 3 months | 55% | | Holloman AFB, New Mexico | 28 | 36% | 5 of 8 | 3 months | 43% | | Cannon AFB, New Mexico | 29 | 84% | 9 of 16 | 1.2 years | 69% | ## What These Records Leave Out The records list trial dates, not offense dates. They do not describe the evidence or the plea terms, and they do not include nonjudicial punishment or administrative separations. Air Force records also rarely list charges in full acquittals and never report plea agreements. Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: [UCMJ change timeline](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/ucmj-change-timeline/). ### How We Counted Every court-martial in the data tried at Beale AFB, California with a trial date in 2019–2023 (28 cases), compared with all 1,361 Air Force trials in those years. Dates are trial dates. 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 - [Air Force Courts-Martial: Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial/) (hub) - [By Installation](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-installation/) (hub) - [Holloman AFB, New Mexico, 2019–2023: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 28 Cases](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/holloman-afb-new-mexico-courts-martial-2019-2023/) (same years, similar size) - [Inside 29 Courts-Martial at Cannon AFB, New Mexico, 2019–2023](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/cannon-afb-new-mexico-courts-martial-2019-2023/) (same years, similar size) - [Andersen AFB, Guam Courts-Martial, 2016–2018: What 13 Cases Show](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/andersen-afb-guam-courts-martial-2016-2018/) - [Aviano AB, Italy Courts-Martial, 2016–2018: What 16 Cases Show](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/aviano-ab-italy-courts-martial-2016-2018/) - [Aviano AB, Italy, 2019–2023: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 17 Cases](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/aviano-ab-italy-courts-martial-2019-2023/) - [Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, 2016–2018: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 27 Cases](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/barksdale-afb-louisiana-courts-martial-2016-2018/) - [Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona Courts-Martial, 2019–2023: What 29 Cases Show](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/davis-monthan-afb-arizona-courts-martial-2019-2023/) - [Search every case in Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/) (members) ## Military Judges Who Presided Over Cases at Beale AFB, California, 2019–2023 - [Wesley A. Braun](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-wesley-a-braun/) - [Elijah F. Brown](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-elijah-f-brown/) - [John C. Degnan](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-john-c-degnan/) - [Colin P. Eichenberger](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-colin-p-eichenberger/) - [Bryon T. Gleisner](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-bryon-t-gleisner/) - [Christina M. Jimenez](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-christina-m-jimenez/) - [Michael A. Lewis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-michael-a-lewis/) - [Sterling C. Pendleton](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-sterling-c-pendleton/) - [Jennifer E. Powell](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-jennifer-e-powell/) - [Mark F. Rosenow](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-mark-f-rosenow/) - [Rebecca E. Schmidt](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-rebecca-e-schmidt/) - [Christopher M. Schumann](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-christopher-m-schumann/) - [Matthew P. Stoffel](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-matthew-p-stoffel/) Names and links only. Each judge's record of pleas, findings, and sentences is on their Know Your Judge page, part of the [Court-Martial Characters](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judges/) membership. **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.