Did General Article Cases at Bremerton, Washington Change After 2019?
Yes. Bremerton, Washington tried 27 Article 134 (general article) cases from 2019 to 2023, about 5 a year, compared with about 3 a year in 2013–2018. The median confinement went from 2 years to 1 year, and punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members went from 79% to 65%.
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Trends › By Installation › Bremerton, Washington › Article 134
Short answer: Yes. Bremerton, Washington tried 27 Article 134 (general article) cases from 2019 to 2023, about 5 a year, compared with about 3 a year in 2013–2018. The median confinement went from 2 years to 1 year, and punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members went from 79% to 65%. Both figures are lower than those for Article 134 cases across the Navy and Marine Corps, where the median was 1.5 years and the discharge share was 74%.
Before and After at a Glance
In 2013–2018, Bremerton tried 17 cases charging the general article over the 6 years with cases on record. In 2019–2023 it tried 27. That is about 5 cases a year, compared with about 3 a year earlier, counting full years only. The Military Justice Act of 2016 took effect on January 1, 2019, and marks the dividing line between the periods. The records cannot show whether the law change had anything to do with the differences.
The contested share went from 12% to 26%. Convictions that included confinement went from 94% to 81%. The median confinement went from 2 years to 1 year. General courts-martial were 71% of cases in the first period and 70% in the second. These groups are small, and a few cases can move each figure, so the changes show direction, not precise size.
| 2013–2018 | 2019–2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 17 | 27 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 12% | 26% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 1 of 2 | 0 of 7 |
| Convictions with confinement | 94% | 81% |
| Median confinement | 2 years | 1 year |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 79% | 65% |
| General courts-martial | 71% | 70% |
Sentences Shorter Than the Service Norm
All 27 cases in 2019–2023 ended in a conviction on at least one charge. Of those, 22 sentences included confinement (81%). The median confinement was 1 year, compared with 1.5 years in Article 134 cases across the Navy and Marine Corps. A quarter of the sentences were 2 years or longer.
Sentences of more than 1 year were less common at Bremerton: 9 of 27 convictions (33%), compared with 52% across the Navy and Marine Corps. Bremerton had more convictions with no confinement (19% compared with 11%) and more under 6 months (26% compared with 20%). Sentences of 6 months to 1 year were also more common, at 22% compared with 17%. Bremerton had fewer sentences of more than 1 year but under 5 years (30% compared with 42%) and fewer of 5 years or more (4% compared with 10%).
These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each sentence covers every charge in the case.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, Navy and Marine Corps Article 134 cases overall |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 5 | 19% | 11% |
| Under 6 months | 7 | 26% | 20% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 6 | 22% | 17% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 8 | 30% | 42% |
| 5 years or more | 1 | 4% | 10% |
Attempt and Solicitation as Common Companion Charges
Of the 27 cases, 15 charged at least one other article along with Article 134. Article 80 (attempt) was the most common, in 7 cases. Article 82 (solicitation) was next, in 5. Article 120b (child sexual abuse), Article 120 (sexual assault), and Article 120c (indecent recording and exposure) each appeared in 3.
A sentence covers every finding in a case. The companion charges are therefore part of every confinement figure on this page.
Discharges for Convicted Enlisted Members
Of 26 convicted enlisted members, 17 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (65%). That is less often than in Article 134 cases across the Navy and Marine Corps in 2019–2023 (74%). 5 of the 17 discharges were dishonorable. The records also show 1 convicted officer or warrant officer, who was not dismissed.
A punitive discharge is a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge for an enlisted member. A sentence without one can still be followed by an administrative separation.
More Contested Cases, No Full Acquittals
A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. In 2019–2023, 7 Bremerton cases were contested and 20 ended in guilty pleas. The contested share was 26%, slightly lower than the 30% in the rest of the Navy and Marine Corps. A guilty plea usually ends a case without a trial on the merits, so this share is a rough measure of how many cases went to trial.
None of the 7 contested cases that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal (0 of 7). In 2013–2018, 1 of 2 contested cases that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal.
Rank, Court Level, and Share of All Bremerton Cases
The accused were 16 junior enlisted members, 10 NCOs, and 1 officer. That mix is similar to Article 134 cases across the Navy and Marine Corps. General courts-martial made up 70% of the cases (19 of 27). A general court-martial can impose long confinement and a dishonorable discharge. Special courts-martial, which cap confinement at one year, made up the rest.
Cases charging the general article were 18% of all 153 courts-martial at Bremerton in 2019–2023. The yearly count was between 4 and 7: 5 in 2019, 6 in 2020, 5 in 2021, 7 in 2022, and 4 in 2023.
What the Records Leave Out
The records show trial dates but not offense dates. Some 2019–2023 trials may involve conduct from before the 2019 rules. The records do not describe evidence or plea terms. They also exclude nonjudicial punishment and administrative separations. Navy and Marine Corps records before December 2020 often omit the plea and forum, and the counts here use only records that list them.
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.
How We Counted
Courts-martial tried at Bremerton, Washington that charged Article 134 (found guilty, not guilty, or both): 2013–2018 (17) and 2019–2023 (27). Comparisons use every Navy and Marine Corps case charging Article 134 in 2019–2023.
Source: public court-martial records (Article 140a, UCMJ) in Military Trial Results, data updated October 24, 2026. Definitions, sources, and known gaps: how this data was built. Errors: content@bodiesburied.com.
Related Analysis
- Bremerton, Washington: Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- Article 134 (General Article): Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Installation (hub)
- Bremerton, Washington, 2013–2018: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 221 Cases (the whole docket)
- Bremerton, Washington, 2019–2023: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 153 Cases (the whole docket)
- Bremerton, Washington Courts-Martial, 2024–2026: What 52 Cases Show (the whole docket)
- General Article Cases at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina: 2017–2018 vs. 2019–2023 (same offense, another installation)
- General Article Cases at Camp Pendleton, California: 2017–2018 vs. 2019–2023 (same offense, another installation)
- Is Navy-Marine Corps General Article Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 134, 2017–2025
- Article 134 explained on the law firm's website
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Military Judges Who Presided Over Article 134 Cases at Bremerton, Washington, 2019–2023
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 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. This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.