Article 112a at Camp Pendleton, California Before and After 2024
Of the 14 Article 112a (drug) cases at Camp Pendleton, California in 2024–2026, only 1 of the 13 with a recorded plea was contested (8%), compared with 38% across all Navy and Marine Corps Article 112a cases.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 5 min read
Trends › By Installation › Camp Pendleton, California › Article 112a
Short answer: Of the 14 Article 112a (drug) cases at Camp Pendleton, California in 2024–2026, only 1 of the 13 with a recorded plea was contested (8%), compared with 38% across all Navy and Marine Corps Article 112a cases. 7 of 12 convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge (58%), and special courts-martial tried 13 of the 14 cases.
Guilty Pleas in Nearly Every Case
13 of the 14 records list a plea: 12 guilty pleas and 1 contested case. A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. The contested share was 8%, lower than the 38% across the Navy and Marine Corps and lower than the 18% at Camp Pendleton in 2019–2023.
The 1 contested case that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal. In 2019–2023, 0 of 7 such cases here did.
Special Courts-Martial Tried Most Cases
Special courts-martial tried 13 cases and a general court-martial tried 1. The general share was 7%, compared with 19% in all Navy and Marine Corps Article 112a cases and 18% at Camp Pendleton in 2019–2023.
A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and can impose a bad-conduct discharge but not a dishonorable discharge.
Discharges and Confinement
Among 12 enlisted members convicted, 7 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (58%). The share across the Navy and Marine Corps was 54%. None of the 7 were dishonorable discharges.
Confinement was part of 75% of the 12 convictions. Half of the terms were 3 months or less, and a quarter were 4 months or longer. The service median was 4 months. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal.
Fewer Cases Than in 2019–2023
In 2019–2023, Camp Pendleton had 78 Article 112a cases, about 16 a year. Since 2024 the average has been about 5 a year, counting full years only. The median confinement went from 4 months to 3 months, and punitive discharges went from 66% to 58%.
Convictions with confinement went from 99% to 75%. With 14 cases in the later period, a few outcomes can move these figures.
| 2019–2023 | 2024–2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 78 | 14 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 18% | 8% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 0 of 7 | 1 of 1 |
| Convictions with confinement | 99% | 75% |
| Median confinement | 4 months | 3 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 66% | 58% |
| General courts-martial | 18% | 7% |
Drug Charges Alone and With Others
7 of the 14 cases charged Article 112a by itself, compared with 67 of 121 across the Navy and Marine Corps. Article 92 (orders violation) appeared in 5 cases. Article 131b (obstruction), Article 82 (solicitation), Article 106a (wearing unauthorized insignia), and Article 128 (assault) appeared in 1 each.
Rank, Timing, and the Law
Among the accused with rank recorded, 8 were junior enlisted members and 5 were NCOs, a mix similar to Navy and Marine Corps Article 112a cases overall. The trials ran from February 2024 to June 2026: 6 in 2024, 4 in 2025, and 4 in 2026, a partial year. They were 10% of the 142 courts-martial at Camp Pendleton in those years.
Sentencing rules changed for offenses after December 27, 2023. The records give trial dates, not offense dates, so they cannot show which rules applied in each case. They also do not show the evidence, the plea terms, nonjudicial punishment, or administrative separations.
For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 112a 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 112a (found guilty, not guilty, or both): 2019–2023 (78) and 2024–2026 (14). Comparisons use every Navy and Marine Corps case charging Article 112a in 2024–2026.
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 112a (Wrongful Use, Possession of Controlled Substances): 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)
- Drug Cases at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina: 2017–2018 vs. 2019–2023 (same offense, another installation)
- Did Drug Cases at Bremerton, Washington Change After 2019? (same offense, another installation)
- Is Navy-Marine Corps Drug Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 112a, 2017–2025
- S1 E33: Dismissing the Camp Pendleton Case (podcast, members)
- Article 112a explained on the law firm's website
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Military Judges Who Presided Over Article 112a Cases at Camp Pendleton, California, 2024–2026
- Cory Carver
- Alexander Douvas
- Todd Gaston
- Matthew Harris
- Mishonda Mosley
- Jason Pfeil
- Derek Poteet
- David Segraves
- Aran Walsh
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.
Compare: federal court. Federal Law Has No Crime of Drug Use: How Article 112a Cases Compare · Drug Distribution and Importation: Federal vs. Court-Martial Sentences, 2016–2025
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.