Sexual Abuse of an Adult: Courts-Martial at Joint Base Lewis-McChord vs. Federal Court in the Western District of Washington
At Joint Base Lewis-McChord, 36 of 38 convictions for sexual abuse of an adult (95%) included confinement, and the median adjudged confinement was 15.5 months. In federal court in the Western District of Washington, 16 of 17 people sentenced (94%) went to prison, with a median prison term of 18 mont
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In brief: At Joint Base Lewis-McChord, 36 of 38 convictions for sexual abuse of an adult (95%) included confinement, and the median adjudged confinement was 15.5 months. In federal court in the Western District of Washington, 16 of 17 people sentenced (94%) went to prison, with a median prison term of 18 months. The federal figures cover the entire district rather than the base, and most of those cases did not involve service members.
This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 17 people sentenced in federal court in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, compared with court-martial results from this site's Military Trial Results data (updated November 2, 2026). Acquittals and dismissals come from a second source, the Federal Judicial Center's records of 753,808 federal defendants whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. It is part of the Federal Prosecution Analysis series, which builds on Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System. How the numbers were built: How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built.
How Often Did Each Group Receive Confinement or Prison?
The share of cases with a custodial sentence was about the same on both sides: 95% at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and 94% in the federal district. No one in the federal group received probation only.
The middle sentence was close as well. The median adjudged confinement at the base was 15.5 months. The median federal prison term in the district was 18 months, which is higher.
The longer sentences differed more. At the base, a quarter of those convicted received 49.2 months or more. In federal court, a quarter received 25.5 months or more, and a quarter received 11.5 months or less.
| Courts-martial at Joint Base Lewis-McChord | Federal court, Western District of Washington | |
|---|---|---|
| Convictions or people sentenced | 38 | 17 |
| Sentenced to confinement or prison | 95% | 94% |
| Median confinement or prison | 15.5 months | 18 months |
| A quarter received this or more | 49.2 months | 25.5 months |
| Pleaded guilty | 22 of 38 with a plea recorded (58%) | 71% |
| Mandatory minimum applied | See the caveats | 0 of 17 with the information (0%) |
Where These Cases Come From
The military records list the trial location as "JB Lewis-McChord, Washington" or "Joint Base Lewis-McChord". They show 38 convictions under Article 120 for rape, sexual assault, and abusive sexual contact, with trial dates from 2020 to 2025. The Army had 36 of these convictions and the Air Force had 2.
The federal numbers are U.S. Sentencing Commission records for the Western District of Washington, fiscal years 2018 to 2025. They count people sentenced under guideline §2A3.1 or §2A3.4 when the statute of conviction shows an adult victim (18 U.S.C. 2241(a)/(b), 2242, 2244).
The base is located in this federal district, but the federal cases are district-wide. They are not cases from Joint Base Lewis-McChord. This comparison does not mean the base's cases would have been tried in federal court.
The years are also measured differently. Court-martial cases are grouped by trial date. A federal fiscal year starts October 1 and ends September 30.
Pleas and Contested Cases
Guilty pleas were more common in the federal district than at the base: 71% compared with 58%. At the base, 22 of 38 convictions with a plea recorded came from a guilty plea. In federal court, 12 of 17 people pleaded guilty and 5 were convicted after a trial.
At Joint Base Lewis-McChord, the median confinement after a guilty plea was 17 months, across 21 cases with confinement. For contested cases ending in conviction, the median was 14 months, across 15 cases with confinement.
The federal pattern was similar in direction. The median prison term after a guilty plea was 21 months. After a trial it was 15 months, based on 5 people sent to prison. All federal guilty pleas in this group had a written plea agreement, and 0% were straight pleas.
Punitive Discharges at the Base
A court-martial can add a punitive discharge to confinement. Of the 37 enlisted members convicted, 27 (73%) received one. There were 13 dishonorable discharges and 14 bad-conduct discharges.
Officers convicted numbered 1, and that officer was dismissed. A dismissal is the punitive discharge for officers. Of the 38 convictions, 35 (92%) were at a general court-martial.
Federal Guideline Range, Supervision, and Restitution
Each federal sentence is measured against a guideline range. For the 17 people with this information, 9 (53%) received a sentence within the range. Sentences below the range at the government's request made up 24% (4). Sentences below the range without a government request made up 12% (2), and sentences above the range made up 12% (2).
A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 0 (0%). Supervised release followed prison for 16 people (94%), and the median supervised release term was 60 months. Restitution was ordered for 14 (82%). No fine was ordered.
Federal records also track criminal history. In this group, 76% were in category I and 0% in category VI. The court-martial data has no matching field.
Totals Across All Courts-Martial and Federal Districts
For all courts-martial for this offense in the data, there were 901 convictions and a median confinement of 24 months. For all federal districts, 531 people were sentenced and the median prison term was 74 months. The medians for the base and for this district are both lower than those broad totals.
What the Records Leave Out
Court-martial confinement figures are adjudged sentences, recorded before clemency or appeal. Federal prison terms are the terms a judge imposed, not the time a person served. Neither data set describes the evidence, the victim's account, or the terms of any plea deal. The federal group has only 17 people, so its medians can shift with a few cases.
How We Counted
Courts-martial with trial dates in 2016 to 2025 whose recorded trial location is Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, ending in a conviction for sexual abuse of an adult (Article 120 rape, sexual assault, and abusive sexual contact) (38). Federal: people sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 in the Western District of Washington (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Washington West") under primary sentencing guideline §2A3.1 or §2A3.4 where the statute of conviction shows an adult victim (18 U.S.C. 2241(a)/(b), 2242, 2244) (17). The installation is matched to the federal district for the county where it sits.
Federal fiscal years run from October 1 to September 30. No person, judge, or lawyer is identified in any of these records.
What to Keep in Mind
Who is in each set of numbers. The federal sentencing numbers come from the U.S. Sentencing Commission. They count only people who were convicted and sentenced in federal district court. People whose cases were dismissed or who were acquitted are not in them. The military numbers come from court-martial results, which include acquittals. To compare acquittal or dismissal rates, the federal side uses a different source: the Federal Judicial Center's case data, which counts every defendant whose case ended.
Different cases reach each system. Federal prosecutors bring a narrow set of cases. In fiscal year 2024, immigration and drug trafficking cases were 59% of everyone sentenced in federal court (36,664 of 61,678). Many crimes that the military prosecutes, such as most assaults, most sexual assaults between adults, and drug use, are usually state crimes for civilians and reach federal court only in special situations, such as on federal land or in Indian Country. A federal case and a court-martial for the same crime can involve different kinds of facts.
No parole in federal prison; credit for good conduct. Federal prison has no parole for crimes committed on or after November 1, 1987. A federal prisoner can earn up to 54 days of good conduct credit for each year of the sentence the judge imposed, which is about 15%. Some federal prisoners can also earn First Step Act time credits, but many offenses make a person ineligible. The numbers in this post are the sentences judges imposed, not the time people actually served.
Military confinement credit and parole. For military sentences adjudged after 2004, good conduct time is 5 days for each month of confinement, about 16%. Military prisoners can also earn up to 8 more days a month for work and programs and up to 2 days a month for special acts, with a limit of 15 days a month in total. Military prisoners can be considered for parole by their service's clemency and parole board. The military numbers in this post are the confinement adjudged at trial, not the time served.
Military sentences include punishments federal sentences do not. A court-martial sentence can include a punitive discharge (bad-conduct discharge, dishonorable discharge, or dismissal for officers), reduction in rank, and forfeiture of pay. These have no federal counterpart. A comparison of months of confinement leaves them out. A short confinement term combined with a dishonorable discharge is a heavier sentence than the months alone show.
Time periods. Federal numbers are by federal fiscal year (October 1 to September 30), based on the sentencing date. The military numbers are by trial date. Neither source has the date of the offense, so a change in law shows up in either data set gradually.
Offense categories do not line up exactly. Each comparison uses a federal offense group chosen to match the military article as closely as possible (see the crosswalk). Some matches are close; others are partial. The post says which federal guideline or statute was used and why it is not an exact match.
Related Analysis
- Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System (the background article)
- Federal Prosecution Analysis (all federal posts)
- How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built (sources and method)
- Sexual Abuse of an Adult: Federal Cases vs. Article 120 Courts-Martial (overview)
- Federal Sentences in the Western District of Washington, FY2016–2025 (the federal district)
- Child Pornography: Courts-Martial at Joint Base Lewis-McChord vs. Federal Court in the Western District of Washington (same installation)
- Child Sexual Abuse and Enticement: Courts-Martial at Joint Base Lewis-McChord vs. Federal Court in the Western District of Washington (same installation)
- Drug Use: Courts-Martial at Joint Base Lewis-McChord vs. Federal Court in the Western District of Washington (same installation)
- Theft and Fraud: Courts-Martial at Joint Base Lewis-McChord vs. Federal Court in the Western District of Washington (same installation)
- Sexual Abuse of an Adult: Courts-Martial at Bremerton vs. Federal Court in the Western District of Washington (other installations)
- Sexual Abuse of an Adult: Federal Sentences vs. Air Force Courts-Martial, 2016–2025
- Sexual Abuse of an Adult: Federal Sentences vs. Army Courts-Martial
- Sexual Abuse of an Adult: Federal Sentences vs. Marine Corps Courts-Martial
- Fewer or More? Sexual Assault Charges at Army Courts-Martial, 2021–2025 (court-martial data)
- Article 120 Sentences in the Army: Confinement and Discharges, 2021–2025 (court-martial data)
- Fighting an Army Sexual Assault Charge: How Contested Cases Ended (court-martial data)
- When Army Accused Plead Guilty to Sexual Assault (court-martial data)
- Is Air Force Sexual Assault Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 120, 2016–2025 (court-martial data)
- How Much Confinement for an Article 120 Conviction in the Air Force? (court-martial data)
- When Air Force Accused Plead Guilty to Sexual Assault (court-martial data)
- Is Navy-Marine Corps Sexual Assault Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 120, 2017–2025 (court-martial data)
- Article 120 Sentences in the Navy-Marine Corps: Confinement and Discharges, 2017–2025 (court-martial data)
- Not Guilty Pleas in Navy-Marine Corps Article 120 Cases: What Happened at Trial (court-martial data)
- Guilty Pleas in Navy-Marine Corps Sexual Assault Cases: How Often, and What Came Next (court-martial data)
- Article 120 (Rape and Sexual Assault): Court-Martial Data and Trends (court-martial data)
- Article 120 UCMJ Explained by a Former Special Victim Prosecutor (law firm reference page)
- U.S. Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles (source)
- Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (criminal defendants) (source)
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.