> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.bodiesburied.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # What Changed at Cannon AFB, New Mexico After 2019? 17 Cases vs. 29 - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/cannon-afb-new-mexico-before-after-2019/ - Published: 2026-10-30T08:06:06.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-30T08:06:06.000Z - Description: Cannon AFB, New Mexico had more contested cases and longer sentences in 2019–2023 than the Air Force as a whole. Of the 19 records that list a plea, 84% were contested, compared with 50% Air Force-wide. - Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart - Tags: Understanding Trends, Cannon AFB, New Mexico, Air Force [Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [By Installation](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-installation/) › [Cannon AFB, New Mexico](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-at-cannon-afb-new-mexico/) › Before and after 2019 **Short answer:** Cannon AFB, New Mexico had more contested cases and longer sentences in 2019–2023 than the Air Force as a whole. Of the 19 records that list a plea, 84% were contested, compared with 50% Air Force-wide. The median confinement was 1.2 years, compared with 4 months at Cannon in 2016–2018 and 4 months across the Air Force. Based on 29 cases · 2019–2023 · Air Force records · data updated October 24, 2026 ## Most Accused Pleaded Not Guilty The plea is listed in 19 of the 29 Cannon records from 2019 to 2023\. Of those 19, 16 were not-guilty or mixed pleas and 3 were guilty pleas. A contested case is one where the accused pleaded not guilty to at least one charge. The contested share was 84%, compared with 50% across the Air Force. Air Force records from 2016 to 2019 rarely list a guilty plea, so there is no contested share for 2016–2018 to compare. ## How the Contested Cases Ended Of 16 contested cases that reached a verdict, 9 ended in a full acquittal (56%). The Air Force rate for contested cases was 51%. Another 2 cases (12%) ended in a partial acquittal: not guilty of at least one charge or specification, but guilty of another. Air Force results give one verdict per case. A partial acquittal appears in these records only when an appeals opinion reports it, so the partial acquittal count may be incomplete. ## Sentences Longer Than Before 2019 Of 18 convictions, 15 included confinement (83%). In 2016–2018, 71% of convictions included confinement. The median confinement was 1.2 years in 2019–2023 and 4 months in 2016–2018\. Across the Air Force in the later years, the median was 4 months. Among the sentences with confinement, a quarter were 3.7 years or longer. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal, and each covers every charge in the case. | | 2016–2018 | 2019–2023 | | ----------------------------- | --------- | --------- | | Cases | 17 | 29 | | Contested (of pleas recorded) | — | 84% | | Convictions with confinement | 71% | 83% | | Median confinement | 4 months | 1.2 years | | Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 42% | 69% | | General courts-martial | 29% | 76% | ## Punitive Discharges and Dismissals Of 16 convicted enlisted members, 11 received a punitive discharge: 6 bad-conduct discharges and 5 dishonorable discharges. The share was 69%, compared with 56% across the Air Force and 42% at Cannon in 2016–2018. 2 convicted officers or warrant officers appear in the records, and both were dismissed. A dismissal is the officer equivalent of a punitive discharge. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation. ## General Courts-Martial in 76% of Cases General courts-martial heard 22 of the 29 cases (76%). The share was 53% across the Air Force and 29% at Cannon in 2016–2018\. 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. ## Panels Heard Most Cases A military judge alone decided 14 cases. An enlisted panel decided 9 and an officer panel decided 6\. Members heard 52% of the cases, compared with 38% in the rest of the Air Force. Among contested cases, members heard 10 of 16 (62%). The accused usually chooses whether a judge alone or a panel decides guilt. ## Charges and Rank Charges are listed for 18 of the 29 cases. Article 112a (drugs) and Article 134 (the general article) were each charged in 7 cases (39%). The drug share was about the same as the 41% Air Force-wide. The Article 134 share was higher than the 21% Air Force-wide. Article 128 (assault) appeared in 5 cases (28%), compared with 19% service-wide. Article 120b (rape and sexual assault of a child) appeared in 4 cases (22%), compared with 7%. The accused were 16 junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4), 11 NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 2 officers or warrant officers. Across the Air Force, 64% of the accused were junior enlisted, so the Cannon group was more senior. | UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the whole Air Force docket | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | ---------- | --------------------------------- | | [Art. 112a](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-112a-drug-offenses/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 7 | 39% | 41% | | [Art. 134](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-134/?ref=bodiesburied.com) General article | 7 | 39% | 21% | | [Art. 128](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-128/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Assault | 5 | 28% | 19% | | [Art. 120b](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-120b/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Rape and sexual assault of a child | 4 | 22% | 7% | | [Art. 92](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-92/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Failure to obey order or regulation | 2 | 11% | 16% | | [Art. 115](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-115/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Malingering before 2019, communicating threats since | 1 | 6% | 4% | | Art. 127 Extortion | 1 | 6% | 0% | | [Art. 128b](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-128b-domestic-violence/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Domestic violence | 1 | 6% | 5% | ## Case Counts and Similar Bases The records show 29 cases from January 2019 to September 2023: 10 in 2019 and 4 or 5 in each later year. In 2016–2018 there were 17 cases. Counting full years only, both periods average about 6 cases a year. In small groups, a few cases can change a percentage by a large amount. Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona and Hurlburt Field, Florida each tried 29 cases in the same years. Their median confinement was 6 months and 2 months, both lower than at Cannon. The contested share was 56% at Davis-Monthan and 79% at Hurlburt Field. | Installation | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) | | -------------------------- | ----- | --------- | ----------------------------------- | ------------------ | ----------------------------- | | Cannon AFB, New Mexico | 29 | 84% | 9 of 16 | 1.2 years | 69% | | Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona | 29 | 56% | 5 of 9 | 6 months | 59% | | Hurlburt Field, Florida | 29 | 79% | 7 of 15 | 2 months | 39% | ## What the Records Do Not Show The records show charges, pleas, findings, and sentences. They do not show the evidence, the plea terms, offense dates, or misconduct handled outside a court-martial. Air Force records rarely list charges in full acquittals and never report plea agreements. Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: [UCMJ change timeline](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/ucmj-change-timeline/). ### How We Counted Every court-martial tried at Cannon AFB, New Mexico in 2016–2018 (17) and 2019–2023 (29). Source: public court-martial records (Article 140a, UCMJ) in [Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/), data updated October 24, 2026\. Definitions, sources, and known gaps: [how this data was built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/how-the-military-trial-results-data-was-built/). Errors: content@bodiesburied.com. ## Related Analysis - [Cannon AFB, New Mexico: Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-at-cannon-afb-new-mexico/) (hub) - [By Installation](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-installation/) (hub) - [Inside 29 Courts-Martial at Cannon AFB, New Mexico, 2019–2023](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/cannon-afb-new-mexico-courts-martial-2019-2023/) - [Inside 17 Courts-Martial at Cannon AFB, New Mexico, 2016–2018](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/cannon-afb-new-mexico-courts-martial-2016-2018/) - [Andersen AFB, Guam Before and After 2019: How Its Courts-Martial Changed](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/andersen-afb-guam-before-after-2019/) - [Aviano AB, Italy, 2016–2018 vs. 2019–2023: A Side-by-Side Look](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/aviano-ab-italy-before-after-2019/) - [Aviano AB, Italy, 2019–2023 vs. 2024–2026: A Side-by-Side Look](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/aviano-ab-italy-before-after-2024/) - [Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, 2016–2018 vs. 2019–2023: A Side-by-Side Look](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/davis-monthan-afb-arizona-before-after-2019/) - [Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, 2019–2023 vs. 2024–2026: A Side-by-Side Look](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/davis-monthan-afb-arizona-before-after-2024/) - [Search every case in Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/) (members) ## Military Judges Who Presided Over Cases at Cannon AFB, New Mexico, 2019–2023 - [Colin P. Eichenberger](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-colin-p-eichenberger/) - [Christina M. Jimenez](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-christina-m-jimenez/) - [James E. Key III](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-james-e-key-iii/) - [Brett A. Landry](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-brett-a-landry/) - [Matthew N. McCall](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-matthew-n-mccall/) - [Charlton J. Meginley](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-charlton-j-meginley/) - [Bradley A. Morris](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-bradley-a-morris/) - [Andrew R. Norton](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-andrew-r-norton/) - [Julie L. Pitvorec](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-julie-l-pitvorec/) - [Rebecca E. Schmidt](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-rebecca-e-schmidt/) - [Christopher M. Schumann](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-christopher-m-schumann/) - [Matthew P. Stoffel](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-matthew-p-stoffel/) 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](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judges/) 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](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/?ref=bodiesburied.com). This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.