> ## 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. # Navy-Marine Corps Acquittals in 2024: How Many Contested Cases Ended Not Guilty? - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/contested-navy-marine-corps-courts-martial-2024-verdicts/ - Published: 2026-10-30T05:30:44.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-30T05:30:44.000Z - Description: 35 of the 128 contested Navy and Marine Corps courts-martial in 2024 ended in a full acquittal (27%), close to the 25% for contested Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2021–2025. - Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart - Tags: Understanding Trends, Navy-Marine Corps [Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [By Year](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-year/) › Navy-Marine Corps 2024, contested **Short answer:** 35 of the 128 contested Navy and Marine Corps courts-martial in 2024 ended in a full acquittal (27%), close to the 25% for contested Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2021–2025\. Convictions brought a median confinement of 4 months, shorter than the 6 months for the full period, and Article 128b (domestic violence) was charged in 15% of cases, against 8%. Based on 128 cases · 2024 · Navy and Marine Corps records · data updated October 24, 2026 ## Most 2024 Cases Were Special Courts-Martial Of the 128 contested cases, 79 were special courts-martial and 49 were general courts-martial. General courts-martial made up 38% of these cases. The court level sets the sentence limits. 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. At the general courts-martial, 67% of convictions brought confinement, with a median of 2 years. At the special courts-martial, 50% did, with a median of 45 days. ## Shorter Confinement Overall 93 of the 128 cases ended in a conviction, and confinement was part of 57% of those convictions. Half of the confinement terms were 4 months or less. Across contested Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2021–2025, the median was 6 months. A quarter of the 2024 terms were 2 years or longer. 40 convictions carried no confinement (43%), compared with 34% for the full period. 19 of the 93 brought more than one year of confinement (20%), against 23%. Only 6 fell in the band from 6 months to 1 year (6%), compared with 14%. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each covers every charge in the case. | Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, contested Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2021–2025 | | ------------------------------- | ----------- | ---------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | | No confinement | 40 | 43% | 34% | | Under 6 months | 28 | 30% | 29% | | 6 months to 1 year | 6 | 6% | 14% | | More than 1 year, under 5 years | 14 | 15% | 17% | | 5 years or more | 5 | 5% | 6% | ## Verdicts in the 2024 Contested Cases A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. All 128 cases here reached a verdict. 35 ended with the accused acquitted of all charges, a 27% full-acquittal rate, close to the 25% for 2021–2025. 36 more cases split the charges. In a partial acquittal, the accused is found not guilty of at least one charge or specification and guilty of another. ## Domestic Violence and Other Charges All 128 records list the charges, and one case can appear under several articles. Article 92 (failure to obey an order or regulation) was the most common charge, in 26 cases (20%), compared with 23% across 2021–2025. Article 128b (domestic violence) was charged in 19 cases (15%), compared with 8% for the full period. Article 128 (assault) was charged less often, in 17% against 26%, and so was Article 134 (the general article), in 12% against 19%. Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) appeared in 15% of cases, against 19%. | UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, contested Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2021–2025 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | ---------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | | [Art. 92](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-92/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Failure to obey order or regulation | 26 | 20% | 23% | | [Art. 128](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-128/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Assault | 22 | 17% | 26% | | [Art. 128b](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-128b-domestic-violence/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Domestic violence | 19 | 15% | 8% | | [Art. 120](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-120-sexual-assault/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Rape and sexual assault | 19 | 15% | 19% | | [Art. 112a](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-112a-drug-offenses/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 17 | 13% | 14% | | [Art. 134](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-134/?ref=bodiesburied.com) General article | 16 | 12% | 19% | | [Art. 107](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-107/?ref=bodiesburied.com) False official statements | 10 | 8% | 9% | | [Art. 90](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-90/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Willfully disobeying superior officer | 7 | 5% | 4% | ## Conviction Rates and Sentences by Charge Article 128 had the highest conviction rate among the top charges: 18 of 22 cases ended in a conviction on that article (82%). Article 120 had the lowest: 13 of 19 (68%), close to the 69% for Article 92\. Article 128b ended in a conviction in 14 of 19 cases (74%). Sentences differed widely by charge. A conviction on Article 120 brought a median confinement of 3.1 years. A conviction on Article 128 brought 5 months, on Article 128b 58 days, and on Article 92 20 days. One case can include a conviction on one article and an acquittal on another, so the rows overlap. | Article | Cases charging it | Convicted of it (share) | Median confinement when convicted of it | | ------------------------------------------- | ----------------- | ----------------------- | --------------------------------------- | | Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 26 | 18 (69%) | 20 days | | Art. 128 Assault | 22 | 18 (82%) | 5 months | | Art. 128b Domestic violence | 19 | 14 (74%) | 58 days | | Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 19 | 13 (68%) | 3.1 years | ## Punitive Discharges 38 of 83 convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge: 23 bad-conduct discharges and 15 dishonorable discharges. Across contested Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2021–2025, 51% of convicted enlisted members received one. 2 convicted officers or warrant officers appear in the 2024 records, and 1 was dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation. ## Rank and Installation NCOs made up 54% of the accused, junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) 43%, and officers 3%. Junior enlisted members were 55% of the accused across contested Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2021–2025. San Diego, California, had the most cases (20), followed by Camp Pendleton, California (11), Camp Lejeune, North Carolina (9), MCAS Miramar, California (8), and MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina (8). Together these account for 44% of the 128 cases. Larger installations try more cases of every kind. ## New Rules From December 2023 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 in a case is for an offense after December 27, 2023, the military judge sets the sentence under new sentencing parameters. Both rules depend on the offense date, which the records do not give, so 2024 trials include cases under old and new rules. The records cannot show whether either change affected these figures. The records also do not show the evidence, the plea terms, or conduct handled outside a court-martial. Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: [UCMJ change timeline](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/ucmj-change-timeline/). ### How We Counted Navy and Marine Corps courts-martial with a trial date in 2024, a not-guilty or mixed plea, and a result posted (128 cases), compared with all such cases in 2021–2025. 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 - [Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial: Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-courts-martial/) (hub) - [By Year](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-year/) (hub) - [Contested Navy-Marine Corps Cases in 2023: Verdicts and Sentences](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/contested-navy-marine-corps-courts-martial-2023-verdicts/) - [How Did Contested Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial End in 2022?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/contested-navy-marine-corps-courts-martial-2022-verdicts/) - [Navy-Marine Corps Acquittals in 2021: How Many Contested Cases Ended Not Guilty?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/contested-navy-marine-corps-courts-martial-2021-verdicts/) - [Navy-Marine Corps Acquittals in 2025: How Many Contested Cases Ended Not Guilty?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/contested-navy-marine-corps-courts-martial-2025-verdicts/) - [Air Force Acquittals in 2022: How Many Contested Cases Ended Not Guilty?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/contested-air-force-courts-martial-2022-verdicts/) - [Air Force Acquittals in 2024: How Many Contested Cases Ended Not Guilty?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/contested-air-force-courts-martial-2024-verdicts/) - [Army Acquittals in 2022: How Many Contested Cases Ended Not Guilty?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/contested-army-courts-martial-2022-verdicts/) - [Search every case in Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/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](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.