> ## 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 Was Tried in Washington State? Courts-Martial 2016–2025 - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-in-washington-state-2016-2025/ - Published: 2026-10-30T05:31:04.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-30T08:20:50.000Z - Description: The records hold 581 courts-martial tried in Washington State from 2016–2025, and 321 of them were Navy and Marine Corps cases. - Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart - Tags: Understanding Trends [Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [By Installation](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-installation/) › Washington State **Short answer:** The records hold 581 courts-martial tried in Washington State from 2016–2025, and 321 of them were Navy and Marine Corps cases. Article 112a (drug offenses) was charged in 30% of cases, compared with 24% across all courts-martial in those years, and only 27% of cases with a plea recorded were contested, against 34%. Based on 581 cases · 2016–2025 · Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps records · data updated October 24, 2026 ## Drug Charges Led the Charge Lists 553 of the 581 records list the charges, and each article counts once per case. Article 112a (wrongful use or possession of controlled substances) was the most common charge, in 165 cases (30%). Across all courts-martial in those years, it appeared in 24%. Article 128 (assault) was charged in 114 cases (21%), compared with 25%. Article 92 (failure to obey an order or regulation) appeared in 11%, against 16%. Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) was charged in 95 cases (17%), against 15%, and Article 81 (conspiracy) in 7%, against 4%. | UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, all courts-martial in those years | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | ---------- | ---------------------------------------- | | [Art. 112a](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-112a-drug-offenses/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 165 | 30% | 24% | | [Art. 128](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-128/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Assault | 114 | 21% | 25% | | [Art. 134](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-134/?ref=bodiesburied.com) General article | 106 | 19% | 20% | | [Art. 120](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-120-sexual-assault/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Rape and sexual assault | 95 | 17% | 15% | | [Art. 92](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-92/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Failure to obey order or regulation | 60 | 11% | 16% | | [Art. 128b](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-128b-domestic-violence/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Domestic violence, numbered since 2019 | 44 | 8% | 8% | | [Art. 80](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-80/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Attempts | 42 | 8% | 7% | | Art. 81 Conspiracy | 39 | 7% | 4% | ## Most Accused Pleaded Guilty 541 of the 581 records list the plea. 395 accused pleaded guilty, and 146 entered a not-guilty or mixed plea. The contested share, 27%, is lower than the 34% across all courts-martial in those years. Guilty pleas were most common in drug cases. Cases charging Article 112a ended in a guilty plea 89% of the time (128 of 144). Cases charging Article 120 ended in a guilty plea 34% of the time (32 of 93). The records do not say why an accused pleaded guilty or contested the charges. ## More Special Courts-Martial Than General 311 of the cases were special courts-martial and 266 were general courts-martial; the level is not listed for 4 cases. The general share, 46%, is lower than the 54% across all courts-martial in those years. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. The special courts-martial here produced a median confinement of 3 months, and 18% were contested. The general courts-martial produced a median of 1 year, and 38% were contested. ## Confinement After a Conviction 512 cases ended in a conviction on at least one charge, and 440 of those convictions carried confinement. The median confinement was 5 months, close to the 6 months across all courts-martial in those years. A quarter of the terms were 1 year or longer, and 1 was a life sentence. 98 of the 512 convictions brought more than one year of confinement (19%), compared with 25%. The band under 6 months held 241 convictions (47%), against 40%. 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, all courts-martial in those years | | ------------------------------- | ----------- | ---------- | ---------------------------------------- | | No confinement | 72 | 14% | 16% | | Under 6 months | 241 | 47% | 40% | | 6 months to 1 year | 101 | 20% | 19% | | More than 1 year, under 5 years | 71 | 14% | 18% | | 5 years or more | 27 | 5% | 7% | ## Results for the Top Charges Article 112a ended in a conviction on that article in 160 of 165 cases (97%), with a median confinement of 4 months. Article 120 had the lowest conviction rate among the top charges: 50 of 95 cases (53%). Those convictions brought a median of 1.9 years. Article 134 (the general article) ended in a conviction in 98 of 106 cases (92%), with a median of 1 year. Article 128 ended in a conviction in 87 of 114 cases (76%), with a median of 5 months. 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. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 165 | 160 (97%) | 4 months | | Art. 128 Assault | 114 | 87 (76%) | 5 months | | Art. 134 General article | 106 | 98 (92%) | 1 year | | Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 95 | 50 (53%) | 1.9 years | ## Full Acquittals and Discharges Full acquittals came in 40% of the 145 decided contested cases, the same rate as across all courts-martial in those years. Another 36 cases ended in a partial acquittal, with the accused found not guilty of at least one charge or specification and guilty of another. 281 of 496 convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge: 220 bad-conduct discharges and 61 dishonorable discharges. Across all courts-martial in those years, the share was 63%. 16 convicted officers or warrant officers appear in the records, and 6 were dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation. ## Services, Installations, Years, and Rank The Navy and Marine Corps account for 321 of the 581 cases, the Army for 199, and the Air Force for 61\. Bremerton, Washington, had the most cases (303). Joint Base Lewis-McChord appears under separate names in the records: 199 cases as Joint Base Lewis-McChord and 28 as JB Lewis-McChord, Washington. Fairchild AFB, Washington, had 33, Everett, Washington, had 12, and Whidbey Island, Washington, had 6. The yearly count was 45 in 2016, 62 in 2017, 34 in 2018, 64 in 2019, 52 in 2020, 85 in 2021, 69 in 2022, 64 in 2023, 54 in 2024, and 52 in 2025. Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 63% of the accused, NCOs 34%, and officers 3%. Across all courts-martial in those years, junior enlisted members were 60%. | Service | Cases | | ----------------- | ----- | | Army | 199 | | Air Force | 61 | | Navy-Marine Corps | 321 | ## What the Records Omit The Military Justice Act of 2016 took effect on January 1, 2019, and brought in written plea agreements. Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel decide whether to prosecute covered offenses. Both depend on offense dates, which the records do not give. The records also do not describe the evidence or plea terms, and they do not include nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation. Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: [UCMJ change timeline](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/ucmj-change-timeline/). ### How We Counted Courts-martial at installations in Washington State with trial dates in 2016–2025 (581 cases), all services. Navy and Marine Corps plea and forum records are incomplete before 2021. 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 - [By Installation](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-installation/) (hub) - [120 Courts-Martial in Joint Base San Antonio, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-in-joint-base-san-antonio-2016-2025/) - [Courts-Martial in Europe: How the Services Compare, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-in-europe-2016-2025/) - [Courts-Martial in Hawaii: How the Services Compare, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-in-hawaii-2016-2025/) - [Courts-Martial in Japan and Guam: How the Services Compare, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-in-japan-and-guam-2016-2025/) - [What Was Tried in Alaska? Courts-Martial 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-in-alaska-2016-2025/) - [What Was Tried in Korea? Courts-Martial 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-in-korea-2016-2025/) - [Smaller Air Force Installations: 177 Courts-Martial Together](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/smaller-air-force-installations-courts-martial/) - [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.