Article 134 Cases at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, 2019–2023: 54 Courts-Martial

Trends › By Installation › Camp Lejeune, North Carolina › Article 134, 2019–2023

Based on 54 cases · 2019–2023 · Navy and Marine Corps records · data updated October 24, 2026

Most Sentences Were Longer Than One Year

Every one of the 54 cases ended in a conviction on at least one charge, and 93% of those sentences included confinement. The median confinement was 1.7 years, compared with 1.5 years across the Navy and Marine Corps. A quarter of the sentences were 3 years or longer.

Sentences of more than 1 year and under 5 years were 59% of convictions here, compared with 42% across the service. Shorter sentences were less common. Sentences under 6 months were 13% of convictions, compared with 20%. Sentences of 6 months to 1 year were 9%, compared with 17%.

These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each covers every charge in the case, not only the Article 134 specification.

Most Cases Were General Courts-Martial

General courts-martial tried 45 of the 54 cases (83%), compared with 72% in Navy and Marine Corps Article 134 cases overall. Only a general court-martial can impose more than one year of confinement or a dishonorable discharge. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year.

A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including long confinement and a dishonorable discharge or dismissal. Since 2019, a special court-martial can also be tried by a military judge alone, with confinement capped at six months and no punitive discharge. Camp Lejeune had a larger general share and longer sentences. The records cannot show the reason for either.

Most Punitive Discharges Were Dishonorable

83% of enlisted convictions included a punitive discharge, compared with 74% in the Navy and Marine Corps as a whole. Of those discharges, 24 were dishonorable and 19 were bad-conduct.

The 1 convicted officer or warrant officer was dismissed. Dismissal is the officer equivalent of a punitive discharge. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.

No Full Acquittals in Contested Cases

A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. Of 10 contested cases that reached a verdict, 0 ended in a full acquittal. Across Navy and Marine Corps Article 134 cases, the full-acquittal rate was 7%.

Every contested Article 134 case at Camp Lejeune that reached a verdict ended in a conviction on at least one charge. A conviction can still come with a partial acquittal, meaning not guilty of at least one charge or specification but guilty of another.

Only 38 of the 54 records list a plea. Among those, 28 accused pleaded guilty and 10 contested the charges. The contested share was 26%, compared with 30% in the rest of the Navy and Marine Corps. Navy and Marine Corps records before December 2020 often omit the plea, so these counts use only the records that list one.

Companion Charges

Article 134 was the only charge in 17 of the 54 cases. Across Navy and Marine Corps Article 134 cases, 125 of 346 charged it alone. Here the most common companion charges were Article 128 (assault) and Article 92 (orders violation), in 12 cases each. Article 120 (sexual assault) and Article 120b (child sexual abuse) appeared in 8 each. Article 107 (false official statement) appeared in 6.

The sentence covers the whole case, so the confinement figures include those companion charges along with the general article.

A Junior Group of Accused

Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 79% of the accused. NCOs made up 19%, and officers made up 2%. Across Navy and Marine Corps Article 134 cases, junior enlisted members were 61%. The Camp Lejeune group was more junior.

This group had 1 convicted officer or warrant officer, who was dismissed.

Cases by Year

The 54 cases were tried from February 2019 through November 2023: 8 in 2019, 7 in 2020, 20 in 2021, 12 in 2022, and 7 in 2023. They made up 19% of the 283 courts-martial at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina in those years. With yearly counts this small, a few cases can move any percentage.

Where the Records Stop

Trial records list charges, pleas, findings, and sentences. They do not show the evidence, the plea terms, the dates of the conduct, or matters handled outside a court-martial through nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation.

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.