> ## 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. # Aggravated Assault: Courts-Martial at Camp Pendleton vs. Federal Court in the Southern District of California - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-aggravated-assault-camp-pendleton-vs-southern-district-of-california/ - Published: 2026-11-03T06:10:59.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-03T06:10:59.000Z - Description: In the Southern District of California, 23 people were sentenced for aggravated assault in federal court, and the median prison term was 46 months. At Camp Pendleton, 16 courts-martial ended in an aggravated assault (Article 128) conviction, every one with confinement, and the median adjudged confin - Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart - Tags: Understanding Trends, Federal [Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) › [Aggravated Assault](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-aggravated-assault-vs-article-128/) › Aggravated Assault: Camp Pendleton **In brief:** In the Southern District of California, 23 people were sentenced for aggravated assault in federal court, and the median prison term was 46 months. At Camp Pendleton, 16 courts-martial ended in an aggravated assault (Article 128) conviction, every one with confinement, and the median adjudged confinement was 7.9 months. The federal figures cover the whole district, so they describe a different set of cases than the base. Updated November 3, 2026 · Sources: U.S. Sentencing Commission and Federal Judicial Center, fiscal years 2016–2025 · Military Trial Results This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 23 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](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) series, which builds on [Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/military-sentencing-guidelines-federal-system/). How the numbers were built: [How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-data-methodology/). ## What the Federal Numbers Cover Camp Pendleton is in the federal Southern District of California. The federal cases here are cases from that district, not from the installation. Most did not involve service members. The U.S. Sentencing Commission data counts people sentenced under guideline §2A2.2 (aggravated assault) in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. Each federal fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30\. Court-martial years go by trial date instead. For the military count, the records list the trial location as "Camp Pendleton", "Camp Pendleton, California", "Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton", or "Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California". All 16 convictions were Marine Corps cases tried from 2017 to 2025. ## Prison Terms in the Southern District of California Of the 23 people sentenced in the district, 20 (87%) received a prison term and 2 (9%) received probation only. The median prison term was 46 months (3.8 years). A quarter received 72 months or more, and a quarter received 33 months or less. Those figures are terms imposed by the judge. They do not show the time a person actually served. The median for the district was higher than the median across all federal districts, which was 40 months for 4,493 people sentenced under this guideline. ## Confinement at Camp Pendleton All 16 Camp Pendleton convictions with a sentence recorded (100%) included confinement. The median adjudged confinement was 7.9 months. A quarter received 60 months or more, and 1 person received confinement for life. Adjudged confinement is the sentence announced at trial, before any clemency or appeal. Across all courts-martial for this offense in the data, the median was 11.3 months over 214 convictions, so the Camp Pendleton median was lower. The base's numbers also differ by period. For trials in 2016 to 2019, the median confinement was 72 months, based on 3 cases with confinement. For trials in 2020 to 2025, it was 6 months, based on 12 cases. With only 3 cases in the earlier period, this is not a trend. | | Courts-martial at Camp Pendleton | Federal court, Southern District of California | | ---------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- | | Convictions or people sentenced | 16 | 23 | | Sentenced to confinement or prison | 100% | 87% | | Median confinement or prison | 7.9 months | 46 months | | A quarter received this or more | 60 months | 72 months | | Pleaded guilty | 9 of 11 with a plea recorded (82%) | 83% | | Mandatory minimum applied | See the caveats | 5 of 23 with the information (22%) | ## Did Pleading Guilty Make a Difference? At Camp Pendleton, 11 convictions had a plea recorded, and 9 of them (82%) were guilty pleas. The median confinement after a guilty plea was 6 months, from 8 cases with confinement. Contested cases ending in conviction had a median of 32.3 months, but that figure comes from only 2 cases. In the district, 19 of 23 (83%) pleaded guilty and 4 were convicted after a trial. The median prison term was 41.5 months after a guilty plea and 64 months after a trial. Of the federal guilty pleas, 79% had a written plea agreement. The other 21% were straight pleas with no agreement. ## Federal Sentences and the Guideline Range Guideline range information was available for all 23 federal sentences. Sentences below the range at the government's request were the largest group, at 39% (9). Another 35% (8) were within the range, 17% (4) were below the range without a government request, and 9% (2) were above it. A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 5 people (22%). Supervised release after prison was ordered for 17 (74%), with a median term of 36 months. A fine was ordered for 1 (4%) and restitution for 3 (13%). In criminal history, 39% were in category I, the lowest, and 9% were in category VI, the highest. Court-martial records have no field for criminal history. ## Discharges and General Courts-Martial Of the 16 enlisted members convicted at Camp Pendleton, 13 (81%) received a punitive discharge. That included 6 dishonorable discharges and 7 bad-conduct discharges. Federal court has no equivalent penalty. 9 of the 16 convictions (56%) came at a general court-martial, the most serious level of military trial. ## What These Records Leave Out With 16 military cases and 23 federal cases, single cases can shift the medians. The data does not describe the assaults, any injuries, or the strength of the evidence. It also cannot show how a Camp Pendleton case would have been handled if it had been brought in federal court. ### How We Counted Courts-martial with trial dates in 2016 to 2025 whose recorded trial location is Camp Pendleton, California, ending in a conviction for aggravated assault (Article 128) (16). Federal: people sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 in the Southern District of California (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "California South") under guideline §2A2.2 (aggravated assault) (23). 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](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/military-sentencing-guidelines-federal-system/) (the background article) - [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) (all federal posts) - [How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-data-methodology/) (sources and method) - [Aggravated Assault: Federal Sentences vs. Article 128 Courts-Martial, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-aggravated-assault-vs-article-128/) (overview) - [Federal Sentences in the Southern District of California, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-southern-district-of-california/) (the federal district) - [Child Pornography: Courts-Martial at Camp Pendleton vs. Federal Court in the Southern District of California](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-child-pornography-camp-pendleton-vs-southern-district-of-california/) (same installation) - [Child Sexual Abuse and Enticement: Courts-Martial at Camp Pendleton vs. Federal Court in the Southern District of California](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-child-sex-offenses-camp-pendleton-vs-southern-district-of-california/) (same installation) - [Drug Possession: Courts-Martial at Camp Pendleton vs. Federal Court in the Southern District of California](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-possession-camp-pendleton-vs-southern-district-of-california/) (same installation) - [Drug Use: Courts-Martial at Camp Pendleton vs. Federal Court in the Southern District of California](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-use-camp-pendleton-vs-southern-district-of-california/) (same installation) - [Drug Distribution: Courts-Martial at Camp Pendleton vs. Federal Court in the Southern District of California](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-distribution-camp-pendleton-vs-southern-district-of-california/) (same installation) - [Theft and Fraud: Courts-Martial at Camp Pendleton vs. Federal Court in the Southern District of California](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-camp-pendleton-vs-southern-district-of-california/) (same installation) - [Obstruction of Justice: Courts-Martial at Camp Pendleton vs. Federal Court in the Southern District of California](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-obstruction-camp-pendleton-vs-southern-district-of-california/) (same installation) - [Aggravated Assault: Courts-Martial at Camp Lejeune vs. Federal Court in the Eastern District of North Carolina](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-aggravated-assault-camp-lejeune-vs-eastern-district-of-north-carolina/) (other installations) - [Aggravated Assault: Federal Sentences vs. Air Force Courts-Martial, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-aggravated-assault-vs-air-force/) - [Aggravated Assault: Federal Sentences vs. Army Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-aggravated-assault-vs-army/) - [Aggravated Assault: Federal Sentences vs. Marine Corps Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-aggravated-assault-vs-marine-corps/) - [Army Article 128 Cases by the Numbers, 2021–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-128-trend-2021-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Article 128 Sentences in the Army: Confinement and Discharges, 2021–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-128-sent-2021-2025/) (court-martial data) - [How Often Are Contested Army Article 128 Cases Acquitted?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-128-acq-2021-2025/) (court-martial data) - [When Army Accused Plead Guilty to Assault](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-128-plea-2021-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Fewer or More? Assault Charges at Air Force Courts-Martial, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-128-trend-2016-2025/) (court-martial data) - [What Sentence Follows an Air Force Assault Conviction?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-128-sent-2016-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Pleading Guilty to Article 128 in the Air Force: What Sentences Followed?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-128-plea-2016-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Navy-Marine Corps Article 128 Cases by the Numbers, 2017–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-128-trend-2017-2025/) (court-martial data) - [What Sentence Follows a Navy-Marine Corps Assault Conviction?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-128-sent-2017-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Not Guilty Pleas in Navy-Marine Corps Article 128 Cases: What Happened at Trial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-128-acq-2017-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Guilty Pleas in Navy-Marine Corps Assault Cases: How Often, and What Came Next](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-128-plea-2017-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Article 128 (Assault): Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-128-courts-martial/) (court-martial data) - [Article 128 UCMJ: Assault, Aggravated Assault, and Strangulation](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-128/?ref=bodiesburied.com) (law firm reference page) - [U.S. Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles](https://www.ussc.gov/research/datafiles/commission-datafiles?ref=bodiesburied.com) (source) - [Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (criminal defendants)](https://www.fjc.gov/research/idb?ref=bodiesburied.com) (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](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.