Article 134 Cases at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, 2024–2026: 29 Courts-Martial

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Based on 29 cases · 2024–2026 · Navy and Marine Corps records · data updated October 24, 2026

Few Contested Cases

A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. Of the 28 records here that list a plea, 25 show a guilty plea and 3 show a not-guilty or mixed plea. That is a contested share of 11%. In the rest of the Navy and Marine Corps, the share was 29%.

All 29 cases ended in a conviction on at least one charge. The records do not describe the evidence or the terms of any plea agreement, so they cannot show why so many accused pleaded guilty.

Punitive Discharges in 86% of Convictions

Among 28 convicted enlisted members, 24 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (86%), more often than in all Navy and Marine Corps Article 134 cases in 2024–2026 (75%). Of those 24, 15 were dishonorable. Only a general court-martial can impose a dishonorable discharge.

A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation, which these records do not cover.

Median Confinement of 1.5 Years

Confinement was part of 86% of the 29 convictions. The median confinement was 1.5 years, the same as in Navy and Marine Corps Article 134 cases. A quarter of the sentences were 2.5 years or longer.

14 of 29 convictions (48%) included more than one year, compared with 45% across the service. Sentences of more than 1 year and under 5 years made up 38% of convictions here, compared with 28%. Sentences of 6 months to 1 year made up 21%, compared with 15%. Sentences of 5 years or more were less common: 10%, compared with 17%. Sentences with no confinement were also less common: 14%, compared with 21%.

These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. They cover every charge in the case.

Mostly General Courts-Martial

General courts-martial tried 22 of the 29 cases (76%). Special courts-martial made up the rest. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including long confinement and a dishonorable discharge. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.

All 14 sentences longer than one year were imposed at general courts-martial. That is the only level that can impose them.

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. The figures here do not separate that form from other special courts-martial.

Solicitation and Child Sexual Abuse Charges

Article 134 was the only charge in 11 of the 29 cases. In the other cases, the most common companion charges were Article 82 (solicitation) in 5 cases and Article 120b (child sexual abuse) in 4. Article 107 (false official statement), Article 80 (attempt), and Article 92 (orders violation) appeared in 2 each.

A sentence covers every charge. In cases with these companion charges, the sentence covers more than the general article count.

Junior Enlisted Accused

The accused were 23 junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4), 5 NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 0 officers or warrant officers. That mix is more junior than the Navy and Marine Corps as a whole, where 63% were junior enlisted. With 0 officers or warrant officers in the group, no dismissals appear.

Cases by Year

The 29 cases were tried from January 2024 to September 2026: 13 in 2024, 7 in 2025, and 9 in 2026, a partial year. They were 24% of the 119 courts-martial at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina in those years. With counts this small, a few cases can move any percentage on this page.

New Rules, Mixed Cases

Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel, not commanders, decide whether to prosecute covered offenses such as sexual assault, domestic violence, and murder. When every guilty finding in a case is for an offense after December 27, 2023, the military judge sets the sentence within new sentencing parameters.

Both rules depend on the offense date, and the records give only trial dates. Trials from 2024 on therefore include cases under both the old and new rules. The records cannot show which rules applied to each case. Matters handled through nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation do not appear at all.

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.