Contested Army Cases in 2024: Verdicts and Sentences
The Army records hold 124 contested courts-martial from 2024.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Trends › By Year › Army 2024, contested
Short answer: The Army records hold 124 contested courts-martial from 2024. Convictions in these cases brought a median confinement of 1.9 years, longer than the 1.5 years for contested Army cases in 2021–2025, and Article 128b (domestic violence) was charged in 31% of cases, against 17% for the full period. 46 cases ended in a full acquittal (37%).
More Convictions Carried Over a Year of Confinement
78 of the 124 contested cases ended in a conviction, and 68 of those convictions carried confinement. The median confinement was 1.9 years. Across contested Army cases in 2021–2025, the median was 1.5 years. A quarter of the 2024 confinement terms were 4 years or longer.
43 of the 78 convictions brought more than one year of confinement (55%), compared with 44% for the full period. 15 convictions brought 5 years or more (19%), against 15%. Only 10 convictions carried no confinement (13%), compared with 25% across 2021–2025.
These are adjudged sentences, as imposed at trial, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each covers every charge in the case.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, contested Army cases in 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 10 | 13% | 25% |
| Under 6 months | 20 | 26% | 22% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 5 | 6% | 9% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 28 | 36% | 28% |
| 5 years or more | 15 | 19% | 15% |
Punitive Discharges in 2024
Among 67 enlisted members convicted, 47 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (70%). That is more often than the 64% for contested Army cases in 2021–2025. 33 of the 47 were dishonorable discharges.
For officers, the equivalent of a punitive discharge is a dismissal. 11 convicted officers or warrant officers appear in the 2024 records, and 6 were dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
The Charges in Contested 2024 Cases
All 124 records list the charges, and one case can appear under several articles. Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) was the most common charge, in 50 cases (40%), but that share is lower than the 49% for 2021–2025.
Article 128b (domestic violence) was charged in 39 cases (31%), compared with 17%. Article 120b (rape and sexual assault of a child) appeared in 17% of cases, against 11%. Article 131b (obstructing justice) appeared in 10%, against 6%. Article 128 (assault) was charged less often: 28% compared with 34%.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, contested Army cases in 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 50 | 40% | 49% |
| Art. 128b Domestic violence | 39 | 31% | 17% |
| Art. 128 Assault | 35 | 28% | 34% |
| Art. 134 General article | 21 | 17% | 19% |
| Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child | 21 | 17% | 11% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 13 | 10% | 14% |
| Art. 131b Obstructing justice | 12 | 10% | 6% |
| Art. 80 Attempts | 11 | 9% | 9% |
Conviction Rates and Sentences by Charge
Article 134 (the general article) had the highest conviction rate among the top charges: 14 of 21 cases (67%). Article 120 had the lowest: 19 of 50 cases (38%). Article 128b ended in a conviction on that article in 21 of 39 cases (54%), and Article 128 in 18 of 35 (51%).
A conviction on Article 128 brought a median confinement of 2.5 years, and a conviction on Article 120 a median of 2.4 years. A conviction on Article 128b brought a median of 5 months. The rows overlap, because one case can include a conviction on one article and an acquittal on another.
| Article | Cases charging it | Convicted of it (share) | Median confinement when convicted of it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 50 | 19 (38%) | 2.4 years |
| Art. 128b Domestic violence | 39 | 21 (54%) | 5 months |
| Art. 128 Assault | 35 | 18 (51%) | 2.5 years |
| Art. 134 General article | 21 | 14 (67%) | 1.7 years |
Full Acquittals and Split Verdicts
A contested case is one in which the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. All 124 cases here reached a verdict. 46 ended in a full acquittal (37%), close to the 38% for contested Army cases in 2021–2025. 55 ended in a partial acquittal (44%), with a not-guilty finding on at least one charge or specification and a guilty finding on another.
Army results list findings charge by charge, which is why partial acquittals are common in Army records.
Who Decided Guilt
The accused usually chooses between a military judge alone and a panel of members. Of the 115 decided contested cases with the forum listed, a military judge alone decided 49 (43%). Members heard 66 (57%): 52 enlisted panels and 14 officer panels.
Full acquittals came in 27 of 66 contested members cases (41%) and in 10 of 49 contested judge-alone cases (20%).
A More Senior Group of Accused
40 of the accused were junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4), 68 were NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 16 were officers or warrant officers. That mix is more senior than contested Army cases in 2021–2025, where 44% of the accused were junior enlisted.
General courts-martial made up 90% of the 2024 cases with a court level listed (110 of 122), with a median confinement of 2 years. A general court-martial can impose long confinement and a dishonorable discharge. The 12 special courts-martial, which cap confinement at one year, had a median of 5 months. The level is not listed for 2 cases.
Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Fort Bragg had 13 cases each, followed by Fort Hood (12), Fort Carson (10), and Wheeler Army Airfield (8). These five account for 45% of the 124 cases. Larger installations try more cases of every kind.
Law Changes and Missing Information
Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel rather than commanders decide whether to prosecute covered offenses, including sexual assault, domestic violence, and murder. When every guilty finding in a case is for an offense after December 27, 2023, the military judge sets the sentence under new sentencing parameters. Both rules turn on the offense date, which the records do not give, so 2024 trials include cases under both sets of rules. The records cannot show whether either change affected these numbers.
The records also do not describe the evidence or plea terms, and they do not include cases handled by nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation.
Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Army courts-martial with a trial date in 2024, a not-guilty or mixed plea, and a result posted (124 cases), compared with all such cases in 2021–2025.
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
- Army Courts-Martial: Data and Trends (hub)
- By Year (hub)
- Army Acquittals in 2022: How Many Contested Cases Ended Not Guilty?
- Army Acquittals in 2023: How Many Contested Cases Ended Not Guilty?
- How Did Contested Army Courts-Martial End in 2021?
- How Did Contested Army Courts-Martial End in 2025?
- Air Force Acquittals in 2022: How Many Contested Cases Ended Not Guilty?
- Air Force Acquittals in 2024: How Many Contested Cases Ended Not Guilty?
- Contested Air Force Cases in 2020: Verdicts and Sentences
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
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.