Article 120 at Camp Pendleton, California Before and After 2019
Sentences at Camp Pendleton were long in both periods. In 2019–2023, the 22 Article 120 (sexual assault) cases there had a median confinement of 3 years, compared with 3.4 years in 2017–2018 and 1.5 years in Article 120 cases across the Navy and Marine Corps.
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Short answer: Sentences at Camp Pendleton were long in both periods. In 2019–2023, the 22 Article 120 (sexual assault) cases there had a median confinement of 3 years, compared with 3.4 years in 2017–2018 and 1.5 years in Article 120 cases across the Navy and Marine Corps. Punitive discharges were 93% of enlisted convictions in the earlier period and 95% in the later one. The contested share of 40% was lower than the 65% service-wide.
2017–2018 Compared with 2019–2023
The comparison places 15 cases from 2017–2018, the 2 earlier years with cases on record, beside 22 from 2019–2023. That is about 8 cases a year in the earlier period and about 4 a year since, counting full years only.
The results in both periods were about the same. The median confinement was 3.4 years and then 3 years. Convictions with confinement were 100% and then 95%. Punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members were 93% and then 95%. General courts-martial were 100% of cases and then 91%. These groups are small, and a few cases can change any of these figures. The comparison shows a direction, not a precise size.
| 2017–2018 | 2019–2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 15 | 22 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | — | 40% |
| Convictions with confinement | 100% | 95% |
| Median confinement | 3.4 years | 3 years |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 93% | 95% |
| General courts-martial | 100% | 91% |
Confinement Was Longer Than the Service Median
In 2019–2023, 20 cases ended in a conviction on at least one charge, and 19 of those sentences included confinement (95%). The median confinement was 3 years, longer than the 1.5 years in Article 120 cases across the Navy and Marine Corps. A quarter of the terms were 6.4 years or longer.
Terms of 5 years or more made up 30% of convictions, compared with 19% service-wide. Terms of 6 months to 1 year made up 25%, compared with 18%. Terms of more than 1 year and under 5 years made up 35%, about the same as the 36% service-wide. Only 1 conviction carried no confinement, and only 1 was under 6 months.
These are adjudged sentences, set before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. They cover every charge in the case.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, Navy and Marine Corps Article 120 cases overall |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 1 | 5% | 11% |
| Under 6 months | 1 | 5% | 16% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 5 | 25% | 18% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 7 | 35% | 36% |
| 5 years or more | 6 | 30% | 19% |
Nearly Every Enlisted Conviction Included a Punitive Discharge
Among 20 convicted enlisted members, 19 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (95%). That is more often than in Article 120 cases service-wide (83%). 15 of the 19 were dishonorable discharges, the most severe form. Only a general court-martial can impose a dishonorable discharge.
A punitive discharge is separate from an administrative separation. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
Assault Was Often Charged with Sexual Assault
19 of the 22 cases included at least one article besides Article 120. Article 128 (assault) appeared in 14 cases, Article 120b (child sexual abuse) in 5, Article 80 (attempt) in 4, Article 92 (orders violation) in 3, and Article 129 (burglary and unlawful entry) in 2.
The sentence covers every finding in a case. The long terms described above therefore include punishment for these other charges as well as Article 120.
Pleas Listed in Only 10 Records
Only 10 of the 22 records list a plea. Of those, 6 were guilty pleas and 4 were contested, meaning a not-guilty plea to at least one charge. The contested share of 40% is lower than the 65% in Article 120 cases across the Navy and Marine Corps.
That share rests on only 10 records. The 2017–2018 records do not give a usable contested share, so pleas cannot be compared between the periods.
Rank and Court Level
The accused were 15 junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4), 5 NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 0 officers. That group is more junior than in the Navy and Marine Corps as a whole, where 60% were junior enlisted.
Almost all cases were general courts-martial: 20 general and 2 special. The general court-martial share was 91%, compared with 87% service-wide. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.
Cases by Year
The 2019–2023 cases were tried between January 2019 and November 2023: 4 in 2019, 7 in 2020, 6 in 2021, 3 in 2022, and 2 in 2023. Together they were 8% of the 291 courts-martial at Camp Pendleton in those years.
Law Changes and What the Records Do Not Show
Article 120 was rewritten in 2012 and amended again for offenses on or after January 1, 2019. Each case is charged under the version in force when the offense happened. The records give trial dates, not offense dates, so some 2019–2023 trials may involve the older version. The records cannot show whether either change affected the results above.
The records do not describe evidence or plea terms. They leave out nonjudicial punishment and administrative separations. Navy and Marine Corps records before December 2020 often omit the plea, so plea counts use only records that list one.
For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 120 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 120 (found guilty, not guilty, or both): 2017–2018 (15) and 2019–2023 (22). Comparisons use every Navy and Marine Corps case charging Article 120 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 120 (Rape and Sexual Assault): 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)
- Sexual Assault Cases at Norfolk, Virginia: 2013–2018 vs. 2019–2023 (same offense, another installation)
- Article 120 at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina Before and After 2019 (same offense, another installation)
- Is Navy-Marine Corps Sexual Assault Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 120, 2017–2025
- S1 E33: Dismissing the Camp Pendleton Case (podcast, members)
- Article 120 explained on the law firm's website
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Military Judges Who Presided Over Article 120 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.
Compare: federal court. Sexual Abuse of an Adult: Federal Cases vs. Article 120 Courts-Martial
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.