False Official Statement Cases at Camp Pendleton, California: 2017–2018 vs. 2019–2023
Camp Pendleton, California tried 16 courts-martial charging Article 107 (false official statement) in 2019–2023. 9 of 15 convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge (60%), compared with 100% in 2017–2018 and 67% across all Navy and Marine Corps Article 107 cases.
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Short answer: Camp Pendleton, California tried 16 courts-martial charging Article 107 (false official statement) in 2019–2023. 9 of 15 convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge (60%), compared with 100% in 2017–2018 and 67% across all Navy and Marine Corps Article 107 cases. The median confinement was 4 months, compared with 6 months across the service.
Fewer Punitive Discharges Than Before 2019
Of the 15 convicted enlisted members, 9 received a punitive discharge: 6 bad-conduct and 3 dishonorable. That is 60%, lower than the 67% in all Navy and Marine Corps Article 107 cases. In 2017–2018, every convicted enlisted member at Camp Pendleton in this group received one (100%).
1 convicted officer or warrant officer appears here and was dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
How Long Was Confinement?
All 16 cases ended in a conviction on at least one charge, and 11 of those sentences included confinement (69%). The median was 4 months. Across all Navy and Marine Corps Article 107 cases in 2019–2023, the median was 6 months.
The range was wide: among the sentences with confinement, a quarter were 1.8 years or longer. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal, and they cover every charge in the case.
Article 107 Appeared With Other Charges
A false official statement charge was paired with other articles in these cases. Article 112a (drug) appeared in 4, and Article 131b (obstruction), Article 134 (general article), Article 128 (assault), and Article 92 (orders violation) each appeared in 3. The sentence figures above include those companion charges.
Earlier Years for Comparison
In 2017–2018, Camp Pendleton had 12 Article 107 cases, about 6 a year. Since 2019 the average has been about 4 a year, counting full years only.
The median confinement went from 7 months to 4 months. Convictions with confinement went from 100% to 69%, and general courts-martial went from 25% to 44% of cases. With 12 and 16 cases, these changes show direction, not precise size.
| 2017–2018 | 2019–2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 12 | 16 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | — | 1 of 9 |
| Convictions with confinement | 100% | 69% |
| Median confinement | 7 months | 4 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 100% | 60% |
| General courts-martial | 25% | 44% |
Rank and Court Level
The accused were 12 junior enlisted members, 3 NCOs, and 1 officer, a more junior group than all Navy and Marine Corps Article 107 cases. General courts-martial tried 7 of the 16 cases (44%), and special courts-martial tried the rest.
A general court-martial can impose long confinement and a dishonorable discharge. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.
Cases by Year
The 16 trials took place between February 2019 and November 2023. The yearly counts were 3 in 2019, 4 in 2020, 7 in 2021, 0 in 2022, and 2 in 2023. They were 5% of the 291 courts-martial at Camp Pendleton in those years.
What the Records Do Not Show
Navy and Marine Corps records before December 2020 often omit the plea and forum. Only 9 records here list a plea, and 1 of those 9 was contested. The records do not show the evidence, the plea terms, offense dates, or conduct handled outside a court-martial.
For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 107 on the law firm's website. Dates and sources for the law changes: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Courts-martial tried at Camp Pendleton, California that charged Article 107 (found guilty, not guilty, or both): 2017–2018 (12) and 2019–2023 (16). Comparisons use every Navy and Marine Corps case charging Article 107 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
- Camp Pendleton, California: Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- Article 107 (False Official Statements): Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Installation (hub)
- Camp Pendleton, California, 2017–2018: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 149 Cases (the whole docket)
- What Was Tried at Camp Pendleton, California, 2019–2023? 291 Courts-Martial (the whole docket)
- Inside 142 Courts-Martial at Camp Pendleton, California, 2024–2026 (the whole docket)
- Article 107 at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina Before and After 2019 (same offense, another installation)
- How Has Article 107 Changed in Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial Since 2017?
- S1 E33: Dismissing the Camp Pendleton Case (podcast, members)
- Article 107 explained on the law firm's website
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Military Judges Who Presided Over Article 107 Cases at Camp Pendleton, California, 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.