How Did Contested Army Courts-Martial End in 2025?
Of 87 contested Army courts-martial in 2025, 39 ended in a full acquittal (45%), higher than the 38% for contested Army cases in 2021–2025. Convictions brought a median confinement of 1 year, shorter than the 1.5 years for the full period.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Trends › By Year › Army 2025, contested
Short answer: Of 87 contested Army courts-martial in 2025, 39 ended in a full acquittal (45%), higher than the 38% for contested Army cases in 2021–2025. Convictions brought a median confinement of 1 year, shorter than the 1.5 years for the full period.
A Higher Full-Acquittal Rate
In each of the 87 cases here, the accused pleaded not guilty or entered a mixed plea, and each case reached a verdict. 39 ended with the accused acquitted of all charges (45%). Across contested Army cases in 2021–2025, the full-acquittal rate was 38%.
35 more cases ended in a partial acquittal (40%). In a partial acquittal, the accused is found not guilty of at least one charge or specification and guilty of another. Army results list findings charge by charge, which is why partial acquittals are common in Army records.
Members Panels Heard Most Contested Cases
The accused usually chooses whether a military judge alone or a panel of members decides guilt. In 2025, members heard 61 of the 84 decided contested cases with the forum listed (73%): 47 enlisted panels and 14 officer panels. A military judge alone decided 23 (27%).
32 of the 61 contested members cases ended in a full acquittal (52%). Among the 23 contested judge-alone cases, 4 did (17%). The judge-alone group is small.
Shorter Median Confinement, With a Long Upper End
48 of the 87 cases ended in a conviction, and 36 of those convictions carried confinement. The median confinement was 1 year, compared with 1.5 years for contested Army cases in 2021–2025.
The range was wide. A quarter of the confinement terms were 5 years or longer, and 1 was a life sentence. 9 convictions brought 5 years or more (19%), against 15% for the full period. At the same time, only 8 convictions fell between more than one year and under 5 years (17%), compared with 28%. Overall, 17 of 48 convictions carried more than one year (35%), against 44%.
12 convictions carried no confinement (25%), the same share as the full period. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal, and each covers every charge in the case.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, contested Army cases in 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 12 | 25% | 25% |
| Under 6 months | 14 | 29% | 22% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 5 | 10% | 9% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 8 | 17% | 28% |
| 5 years or more | 9 | 19% | 15% |
Charges: Fewer Sexual Assault Cases, More Domestic Violence
All 87 records list the charges, and each article counts once per case. Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) was charged in 30 cases (34%), compared with 49% for contested Army cases in 2021–2025. Article 134 (the general article) was also charged less often, 11% against 19%, as was Article 92 (failure to obey an order or regulation), 8% against 14%.
Article 128b (domestic violence) was charged more often: 24% compared with 17%. Article 107 (false official statements) appeared in 13% of cases, against 9%, and Article 86 (AWOL) in 8%, against 4%.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, contested Army cases in 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 30 | 34% | 49% |
| Art. 128 Assault | 25 | 29% | 34% |
| Art. 128b Domestic violence | 21 | 24% | 17% |
| Art. 107 False official statements | 11 | 13% | 9% |
| Art. 134 General article | 10 | 11% | 19% |
| Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child | 9 | 10% | 11% |
| Art. 80 Attempts | 8 | 9% | 9% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 7 | 8% | 14% |
Results for the Top Charges
Article 107 had the highest conviction rate among the top charges: 6 of 11 cases (55%). Article 120 had the lowest: 9 of 30 cases (30%). Article 128 (assault) ended in a conviction on that article in 11 of 25 cases (44%), and Article 128b in 9 of 21 (43%).
Convictions on Article 120 brought a median confinement of 5 years. Convictions on Article 128b brought a median of 1 year, on Article 128 a median of 11 months, and on Article 107 a median of 3 months. One case can include a conviction on one article and an acquittal on another, so these rows overlap.
| Article | Cases charging it | Convicted of it (share) | Median confinement when convicted of it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 30 | 9 (30%) | 5 years |
| Art. 128 Assault | 25 | 11 (44%) | 11 months |
| Art. 128b Domestic violence | 21 | 9 (43%) | 1 year |
| Art. 107 False official statements | 11 | 6 (55%) | 3 months |
Discharges and Dismissals in 2025
Among 38 enlisted members convicted, 23 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (61%), a little less often than the 64% for 2021–2025. 11 of the 23 were dishonorable discharges.
10 convicted officers or warrant officers appear in the 2025 records, and 6 were dismissed. Dismissal is the officer equivalent of a punitive discharge. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
Court Level, Rank, and Location
65 of the 84 cases with a court level listed were general courts-martial (77%), compared with 85% for contested Army cases in 2021–2025. These produced a median confinement of 2.4 years. The 19 special courts-martial, which cap confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge, produced a median of 53 days. The level is not listed for 3 cases.
Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 36% of the accused, NCOs 46%, and officers 18%. Across 2021–2025, junior enlisted members were 44%.
Vilseck (Europe) and Fort Bragg had 8 cases each, followed by Fort Carson (7), Fort Hood (7), and Fort Sill (5). Together they account for 40% of the 87 cases. Larger installations try more cases of every kind.
Rule Changes and Gaps in the Data
Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel rather than commanders decide whether to prosecute covered offenses such as sexual assault, domestic violence, and murder. When every guilty finding is for an offense after December 27, 2023, the military judge sets the sentence under new sentencing parameters. Both depend on the offense date, so 2025 trials mix cases under the old and new rules, and the records cannot show what effect either change had.
Trial records show charges, pleas, findings, and sentences. They do not show the evidence, plea terms, offense dates, or conduct handled outside a court-martial.
Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Army courts-martial with a trial date in 2025, a not-guilty or mixed plea, and a result posted (87 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?
- Contested Army Cases in 2024: Verdicts and Sentences
- How Did Contested Army Courts-Martial End in 2021?
- 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.