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# Assault Cases at Bremerton, Washington: 2013–2018 vs. 2019–2023
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/bremerton-washington-article-128-before-after-2019/
- Published: 2026-10-28T06:49:24.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-03T01:47:52.000Z
- Description: Bremerton, Washington tried 31 courts-martial charging Article 128 (assault) in 2019–2023, compared with 64 in 2013–2018. The contested share was 50% in the later period, compared with 21% in the earlier one, and 8 of 15 contested cases that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal.
- Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart
- Tags: Understanding Trends, Bremerton, Washington, Article 128, Navy-Marine Corps

[Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [By Installation](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-installation/) › [Bremerton, Washington](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-at-bremerton-washington/) › Article 128

**Short answer:** Bremerton, Washington tried 31 courts-martial charging Article 128 (assault) in 2019–2023, compared with 64 in 2013–2018\. The contested share was 50% in the later period, compared with 21% in the earlier one, and 8 of 15 contested cases that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal. A punitive discharge followed 19% of enlisted convictions, compared with 52% before 2019 and 61% across Navy and Marine Corps assault cases.

Based on 31 cases · 2019–2023 · Navy and Marine Corps records · data updated October 24, 2026

## Far Fewer Punitive Discharges

A punitive discharge is a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge. Of 21 convicted enlisted members, 4 received one: 2 bad-conduct discharges and 2 dishonorable discharges. That share, 19%, compares with 61% in all Navy and Marine Corps Article 128 cases and with 52% at Bremerton in 2013–2018.

The records list 2 convicted officers or warrant officers, and 1 was dismissed. Dismissal is the officer equivalent of a punitive discharge. A sentence with no punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.

## More Assault Cases Were Contested

Of 30 records with a plea, 15 show a not-guilty or mixed plea and 15 show a guilty plea. A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. The contested share was 50%, compared with 40% in the Navy and Marine Corps as a whole.

Of the 15 contested cases that reached a verdict, 8 ended in a full acquittal (53%). That is slightly higher than the 49% in all Navy and Marine Corps Article 128 cases. No contested case is recorded with a partial acquittal. The records do not describe the evidence, so they cannot show why any case ended as it did.

## Shorter Confinement

Confinement was part of 70% of the 23 convictions. The median confinement was 3 months, compared with a 6-month median in all Navy and Marine Corps Article 128 cases. A quarter of the terms were 6 months or longer.

No confinement was part of 30% of convictions, compared with 14% service-wide. Terms of more than 1 year followed 2 of 23 convictions (9%), compared with 24%. Most terms were short. Terms under 6 months followed 48% of convictions, compared with 35%. Terms from 6 months to 1 year followed 13%, compared with 27%. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each covers every charge in the case.

| Adjudged confinement            | Convictions | Share here | Share, Navy and Marine Corps Article 128 cases overall |
| ------------------------------- | ----------- | ---------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| No confinement                  | 7           | 30%        | 14%                                                    |
| Under 6 months                  | 11          | 48%        | 35%                                                    |
| 6 months to 1 year              | 3           | 13%        | 27%                                                    |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 2           | 9%         | 19%                                                    |
| 5 years or more                 | 0           | 0%         | 5%                                                     |

## 2013–2018 Compared With 2019–2023

The 2013–2018 records show 64 Article 128 cases over 6 years, about 11 a year. Since 2019, there have been about 6 a year. In the later period, there were 10 cases in 2019, 8 in 2020, 10 in 2021, 2 in 2022, and 1 in 2023\. These cases made up 20% of the 153 courts-martial at Bremerton in 2019–2023.

The median confinement was 6 months in the earlier period and 3 months in the later one. Convictions with confinement were 91% and then 70%. Full acquittals in contested cases with a verdict were 6 of 13 and then 8 of 15\. General courts-martial were 48% of cases and then 45%. These numbers are small, and a few cases can change them. So they show a direction only.

|                                     | 2013–2018 | 2019–2023 |
| ----------------------------------- | --------- | --------- |
| Cases                               | 64        | 31        |
| Contested (of pleas recorded)       | 21%       | 50%       |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 6 of 13   | 8 of 15   |
| Convictions with confinement        | 91%       | 70%       |
| Median confinement                  | 6 months  | 3 months  |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted)       | 52%       | 19%       |
| General courts-martial              | 48%       | 45%       |

## Assault Charged With Sexual Assault

Of the 31 cases, 16 charged at least one other article. Article 120 (sexual assault) was the most common, in 11 cases. Article 92 (orders violation) was charged in 3\. Article 120c (indecent recording and exposure), Article 134, and Article 80 (attempt) were charged in 2 each.

When an assault charge appears next to a sexual assault charge, it can describe part of the same incident. The sentence covers the whole case.

## Sentences at Each Court Level

General courts-martial, which can impose long confinement and a dishonorable discharge, heard 14 cases (45%). Of those cases, 77% were contested, and the median confinement was 6 months.

Special courts-martial, which are capped at 1 year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge, heard 17 cases. Of those cases, 29% were contested, and the median confinement was 2 months.

## A More Senior Group of Accused

NCOs made up 58% of the accused, junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) 32%, and officers 10%. Across the Navy and Marine Corps as a whole, junior enlisted members were 63% of the accused. So the Bremerton group was more senior.

## What the Records Do Not Show

The records cover courts-martial only. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out an administrative separation, and administrative separations are not in these records.

The records give trial dates, not offense dates. They do not describe the evidence or the plea terms, and they do not include nonjudicial punishment. Navy and Marine Corps records before December 2020 often leave out the plea.

For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see [Article 128 on the law firm's website](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-128/?ref=bodiesburied.com). Dates and sources for the law changes: [UCMJ change timeline](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/ucmj-change-timeline/).

### How We Counted

Courts-martial tried at Bremerton, Washington that charged Article 128 (found guilty, not guilty, or both): 2013–2018 (64) and 2019–2023 (31). Comparisons use every Navy and Marine Corps case charging Article 128 in 2019–2023.

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

- [Bremerton, Washington: Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-at-bremerton-washington/) (hub)
- [Article 128 (Assault): Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-128-courts-martial/) (hub)
- [By Installation](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-installation/) (hub)
- [Bremerton, Washington, 2013–2018: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 221 Cases](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/bremerton-washington-courts-martial-2013-2018/) (the whole docket)
- [Bremerton, Washington, 2019–2023: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 153 Cases](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/bremerton-washington-courts-martial-2019-2023/) (the whole docket)
- [Bremerton, Washington Courts-Martial, 2024–2026: What 52 Cases Show](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/bremerton-washington-courts-martial-2024-2026/) (the whole docket)
- [Article 128 at Camp Pendleton, California Before and After 2019](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/camp-pendleton-california-article-128-before-after-2019/) (same offense, another installation)
- [Did Assault Cases at Norfolk, Virginia Change After 2019?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/norfolk-virginia-article-128-before-after-2019/) (same offense, another installation)
- [Navy-Marine Corps Article 128 Cases by the Numbers, 2017–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-128-trend-2017-2025/)
- [Article 128 explained on the law firm's website](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-128/?ref=bodiesburied.com)
- [Search every case in Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/) (members)

## Military Judges Who Presided Over Article 128 Cases at Bremerton, Washington, 2019–2023

- [Matthew Brower](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-matthew-brower/)
- [Kimberly Kelly](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-kimberly-kelly/)
- [Lawrence Lee](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-lawrence-lee/)
- [Ann Minami](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-ann-minami/)

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.

**Compare: federal court.** [Aggravated Assault: Federal Sentences vs. Article 128 Courts-Martial, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-aggravated-assault-vs-article-128/)

**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.