How Bremerton, Washington Handled General Article Cases (Article 134), 2013–2018

Trends › By Installation › Bremerton, Washington › Article 134, 2013–2018

Based on 17 cases · 2013–2018 · Navy and Marine Corps records · data updated October 24, 2026

Most Accused Pleaded Guilty

Of the 16 cases with a plea listed, 14 were guilty pleas and 2 were contested. A contested case is one in which the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. The contested share was 12%, lower than the 24% across Navy and Marine Corps Article 134 cases.

One record does not list a plea. Navy and Marine Corps records before December 2020 often omit it, so the counts use only the records that include one.

Sentences After Conviction

Of the 17 cases, 16 ended in a conviction on at least one charge. Of those 16 sentences, 15 included confinement (94%). The median confinement was 2 years, higher than the 1.7 years across Navy and Marine Corps Article 134 cases.

A quarter of the confinement terms were 4 years or longer. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal, and they cover every charge in the case.

Sex Offense Charges Appeared Alongside

Of the 17 cases, 11 charged at least one article besides Article 134. Article 120c (indecent recording and exposure) appeared in 3. Article 120 (sexual assault), Article 120b (child sexual abuse), Article 131b (obstruction, numbered since 2019), and Article 92 (orders violation) each appeared in 2.

Article 134 covers many different offenses, so the cases in this group are not all alike.

Punitive Discharges and Dismissals

A punitive discharge followed 79% of enlisted convictions: 9 bad-conduct discharges and 2 dishonorable discharges. The share across Navy and Marine Corps Article 134 cases was 78%, about the same.

The records list 2 convicted officers or warrant officers, and 1 was dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge or dismissal does not rule out a later administrative separation.

Rank and Court Level

The accused included 9 junior enlisted members, 6 NCOs, and 2 officers. The sheet describes this group as more junior than in Navy and Marine Corps Article 134 cases overall.

Of the 17 cases, 12 were general courts-martial (71%), compared with 74% service-wide. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.

Trials by Year

The trials ran from February 2013 through November 2018: 2 in 2013, 2 in 2014, 3 in 2015, 5 in 2016, 3 in 2017, and 2 in 2018. The 17 cases were 8% of the 221 courts-martial at Bremerton, Washington in 2013–2018.

All of them came before the Military Justice Act of 2016 took effect on January 1, 2019, so none were tried under its rules on panel sizes, judge-alone special courts-martial, or written plea agreements.

Gaps in the Records

These records show charges, pleas, findings, and sentences. They do not show offense dates, the evidence, or plea terms. Conduct handled by nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation is not included.

For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 134 on the law firm's website. Dates and sources for the law changes: UCMJ change timeline.

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. This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.