Did Orders Violation Cases at Camp Pendleton, California Change After 2024?
In several ways, yes. Camp Pendleton's Article 92 (orders violation) cases since 2024 were contested more often than in 2019–2023 (33% compared with 25%). They had a shorter median confinement (3 months compared with 5 months).
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Short answer: In several ways, yes. Camp Pendleton's Article 92 (orders violation) cases since 2024 were contested more often than in 2019–2023 (33% compared with 25%). They had a shorter median confinement (3 months compared with 5 months). They ended in a punitive discharge less often (43% compared with 59% of enlisted convictions). That 43% is still higher than the 37% across all Navy and Marine Corps Article 92 cases in 2024–2026.
All Punitive Discharges Were Bad-Conduct Discharges
Of 23 convicted enlisted members since 2024, 10 received a punitive discharge. All of them were bad-conduct discharges, and 0 were dishonorable. Across Navy and Marine Corps Article 92 cases in the same years, the punitive discharge share was 37%.
A bad-conduct discharge is the less severe punitive discharge for enlisted members, and a special court-martial can impose it. A sentence without any punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation. These records do not include administrative separations.
How 2024–2026 Differs from 2019–2023
Camp Pendleton tried 53 Article 92 cases in 2019–2023, about 11 a year over the 5 years with cases on record. Since then, there have been about 10 a year, counting full years only. The number of cases a year was about the same, but other figures changed.
The contested share was 25% in the earlier period and 33% in the later one. Full acquittals in contested cases that reached a verdict were 0 of 7 and then 1 of 8. The median confinement was 5 months and then 3 months. Convictions with confinement were 83% and then 88%. General courts-martial were 28% of cases and then 16%. Punitive discharges were 59% and then 43%.
These changes happened in the same period as the December 28, 2023 change that gave special trial counsel the decision to prosecute covered offenses. The records cannot show whether one caused the other. These groups are small, and a few cases can change the figures.
| 2019–2023 | 2024–2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 53 | 29 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 25% | 33% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 0 of 7 | 1 of 8 |
| Convictions with confinement | 83% | 88% |
| Median confinement | 5 months | 3 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 59% | 43% |
| General courts-martial | 28% | 16% |
Short Terms and Few Sentences Without Confinement
Confinement was part of 88% of the 24 convictions since 2024. The median confinement was 3 months, the same as the 3 months for the Navy and Marine Corps as a whole. A quarter of terms were 5 months or longer.
Only 12% of convictions here carried no confinement, compared with 45% service-wide. 67% were under 6 months, compared with 42%. Terms of 6 months to 1 year made up 17%, compared with 8%. 1 of 24 convictions (4%) was longer than one year, about the same as the 5% elsewhere. No conviction carried 5 years or more.
These are adjudged sentences, 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-wide Article 92 cases |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 3 | 12% | 45% |
| Under 6 months | 16 | 67% | 42% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 4 | 17% | 8% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 1 | 4% | 2% |
| 5 years or more | 0 | 0% | 3% |
Guilty Pleas and Contested Cases
24 records list a plea. Of those, 16 were guilty pleas and 8 were contested, meaning a not-guilty plea to at least one charge. The contested share of 33% is lower than the 44% in the rest of the Navy and Marine Corps.
Of the 8 contested cases that reached a verdict since 2024, 1 ended in a full acquittal, meaning not guilty of all charges.
Other Charges in the Same Cases
Article 92 was the only charge in 7 of the 29 cases. Most cases also included other charges: Article 112a (drug) in 5 cases, Article 128 (assault) in 4, Article 81 (conspiracy) and Article 134 (the general article) in 3 each, and Article 131b (obstruction) in 2.
A sentence covers the whole case. Every confinement and discharge figure above therefore includes punishment for these other charges.
Most Cases Were Special Courts-Martial
Since 2024, 21 cases were special courts-martial and 4 were general courts-martial. The records do not list the court level for the rest. The general court-martial share of 16% is the same as the 16% in Article 92 cases across the Navy and Marine Corps.
The court level sets the maximum sentence. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence.
Rank of the Accused and Cases by Year
The accused were 15 junior enlisted members, 9 NCOs, and 0 officers. That group is more junior than in Navy and Marine Corps Article 92 cases overall. There were 6 cases in 2024, 13 in 2025, and 10 in the partial year of 2026. Together they were 20% of the 142 courts-martial at Camp Pendleton from January 2024 to October 2026.
What the Records Do Not Show
The records show only cases that reached a courtroom. They do not include nonjudicial punishment, administrative separations, or cases closed without action. They do not describe the evidence or plea terms. They give trial dates, not offense dates, so the 2024–2026 trials include cases under both the old and new sentencing rules.
For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 92 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 92 (found guilty, not guilty, or both): 2019–2023 (53) and 2024–2026 (29). Comparisons use every Navy and Marine Corps case charging Article 92 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 92 (Failure to Obey Order or Regulation): 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)
- Did Orders Violation Cases at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina Change After 2019? (same offense, another installation)
- Did Orders Violation Cases at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina Change After 2024? (same offense, another installation)
- Is Navy-Marine Corps Orders Violation Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 92, 2017–2025
- S1 E33: Dismissing the Camp Pendleton Case (podcast, members)
- Article 92 explained on the law firm's website
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Military Judges Who Presided Over Article 92 Cases at Camp Pendleton, California, 2024–2026
- Christopher Capasso
- Alexander Douvas
- Todd Gaston
- Andrea Goode
- Peter Mcneilly
- 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.
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.