> ## 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. # Obstruction of Justice Charges: How Often Federal Trials and Courts-Martial End in Acquittal - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-obstruction-acquittal-rate-vs-courts-martial/ - Published: 2026-11-03T01:38:51.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-03T01:38:51.000Z - Description: In fiscal years 2016 to 2025, 52 of 327 federal obstruction trials (16%) ended in an acquittal. In Army, Navy, and Marine Corps courts-martial from 2016 to 2025, 18 of 94 contested cases that reached a verdict (19%) ended in a full acquittal. The rates count different groups of cases, and Air Force - Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart - Tags: Understanding Trends, Federal [Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) › [Obstruction of Justice and Perjury](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-obstruction-perjury-vs-courts-martial/) › Obstruction of Justice: Acquittals **In brief:** In fiscal years 2016 to 2025, 52 of 327 federal obstruction trials (16%) ended in an acquittal. In Army, Navy, and Marine Corps courts-martial from 2016 to 2025, 18 of 94 contested cases that reached a verdict (19%) ended in a full acquittal. The rates count different groups of cases, and Air Force cases are left out. Updated November 2, 2026 · Sources: U.S. Sentencing Commission and Federal Judicial Center, fiscal years 2016–2025 · Military Trial Results This post uses the Federal Judicial Center's records of 1,590 federal defendants whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, compared with court-martial results from this site's Military Trial Results data (updated November 2, 2026). The series also draws on the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 659,036 people sentenced 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/). ## How Do the Acquittal Rates Compare? The federal rate is 16% and the court-martial rate is 19%. The court-martial rate was higher, but it rests on 94 cases, and the federal rate rests on 327 trials. The court-martial figure counts contested cases that reached a verdict. A court-martial is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. The federal figure counts trials, and it does not report partial acquittals separately. ## How Many Federal Obstruction Cases Reach Trial? The Federal Judicial Center counted 1,590 defendants charged under 18 U.S.C. 1503, 1505, 1512, or 1519 whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. Of these, 1,037 (65%) pleaded guilty, 226 (14%) had their cases dismissed, and 327 (21%) went to trial. Overall, 1,312 of the 1,590 defendants (83%) were convicted, by plea or at trial. The acquittal rate of 16% is a share of trials only, not of all defendants. Jury trials numbered 290, with 48 acquittals (17%). Bench trials, decided by a judge, numbered 37, with 4 acquittals (11%). | Fiscal year | Cases ended | Pleaded guilty | Dismissed | Trials | Acquitted at trial | | ----------- | ----------- | -------------- | --------- | ------ | ------------------ | | 2016 | 132 | 74% | 12% | 18 | 4 (22%) | | 2017 | 154 | 68% | 6% | 39 | 11 (28%) | | 2018 | 149 | 77% | 9% | 20 | 4 (20%) | | 2019 | 158 | 68% | 18% | 23 | 2 (9%) | | 2020 | 107 | 70% | 13% | 18 | 0 (0%) | | 2021 | 110 | 64% | 20% | 18 | 1 (6%) | | 2022 | 173 | 67% | 9% | 41 | 11 (27%) | | 2023 | 233 | 51% | 15% | 80 | 9 (11%) | | 2024 | 183 | 70% | 7% | 43 | 6 (14%) | | 2025 | 191 | 55% | 31% | 27 | 4 (15%) | ## What Is a Partial Acquittal? A partial acquittal means the accused was found not guilty of at least one charge but guilty of another. In the 94 contested court-martial cases, 44 (47%) ended that way. These are not counted in the 19% full acquittal rate. Federal data does not report partial acquittals separately. The court-martial rate and the federal rate therefore measure outcomes in different ways. ## Did the Decision-Maker Matter in Courts-Martial? When a judge alone decided guilt, 1 of 42 cases (2%) ended in a full acquittal. When members decided, 11 of 28 cases (39%) did. Within the members group, 9 of 20 cases with enlisted members (45%) and 2 of 8 with officer members ended in a full acquittal. In 24 cases no forum was listed, and 6 of those (25%) ended in a full acquittal. Navy and Marine Corps records usually do not show who decided guilt, so the unlisted group is large. The records show that full acquittals were more common when members decided. They do not show why. ## What Did Each Year Show? Year by year, the counts are small. Court-martial contested verdicts ranged from 1 to 19 cases in a year. In 2021, 2 of 19 ended in a full acquittal, and in 2023, 3 of 8 did. Federal trials ranged from 18 to 80 a year. Acquittals were 11 of 39 trials in 2017, 0 of 18 in 2020, and 9 of 80 in 2023\. A single year says little about either system. | Year | Courts-martial: full acquittals of contested cases | Federal: acquittals of trials | | ---- | -------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------- | | 2016 | 0 of 2 | 4 of 18 | | 2017 | 1 of 1 | 11 of 39 | | 2018 | 2 of 5 | 4 of 20 | | 2019 | 1 of 3 | 2 of 23 | | 2020 | 0 of 6 | 0 of 18 | | 2021 | 2 of 19 | 1 of 18 | | 2022 | 4 of 17 | 11 of 41 | | 2023 | 3 of 8 | 9 of 80 | | 2024 | 4 of 18 | 6 of 43 | | 2025 | 1 of 15 | 4 of 27 | ## What Do These Rates Not Show? Federal court and courts-martial screen cases differently before trial. A federal felony needs a grand jury indictment, and a court-martial has no grand jury. An Article 32 hearing officer's conclusions are recommendations. Federal figures use fiscal years, and court-martial figures use trial dates. The Federal Judicial Center counts every defendant whose case ended, including dismissals. The court-martial figure leaves out Air Force cases because Air Force records rarely list the charges in acquittals. The records cannot show why the rates differ, or whether the cases in each system were alike in facts or evidence. ### How We Counted Courts-martial: Army, Navy, and Marine Corps courts-martial charging obstruction of justice (Article 131b) with trial dates in 2016 to 2025 that were contested and reached a verdict (94). Federal: defendants charged under 18 U.S.C. 1503, 1505, 1512, or 1519 whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 (1,590; 327 trials), Federal Judicial Center, counted as in the federal courts' Table D-4. 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. **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. **How "plea" and "trial" are counted.** In the federal sentencing numbers, "trial" means the person was convicted after a trial, including people who pleaded guilty to some counts and went to trial on others. People acquitted at trial are not in these numbers at all (see "Who is in each set of numbers"). In the federal case data, the trial rate counts both convictions and acquittals at trial among all defendants whose cases ended, including dismissed cases. Military numbers count contested cases that reached a verdict. These denominators are not the same, and each post states the one it uses. ## 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) - [Obstruction of Justice and Perjury: Federal vs. Court-Martial Sentences](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-obstruction-perjury-vs-courts-martial/) (overview) - [Obstruction of Justice Sentences Since the 2023 Military Sentencing Reform: What the Data Shows So Far](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-obstruction-2023-sentencing-reform-so-far/) - [Obstruction of Justice Charges: Federal Trial Acquittals vs. Contested Army Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-obstruction-acquittal-rate-vs-army/) - [Obstruction of Justice Charges: Federal Trial Acquittals vs. Contested Marine Corps Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-obstruction-acquittal-rate-vs-marine-corps/) - [Obstruction of Justice Charges: Federal Trial Acquittals vs. Contested Navy Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-obstruction-acquittal-rate-vs-navy/) - [Guilty Pleas in Obstruction of Justice Cases: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-obstruction-guilty-plea-rate-vs-courts-martial/) - [Obstruction of Justice Convictions of Junior Enlisted (E-1 to E-4): Courts-Martial Compared With Federal Court](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-obstruction-junior-enlisted-vs-federal-court/) - [How Has Article 131b Changed in Army Courts-Martial Since 2021?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-131b-trend-2021-2025/) (court-martial data) - [How Much Confinement for an Article 131b Conviction in the Army?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-131b-sent-2021-2025/) (court-martial data) - [How Often Are Contested Army Article 131b Cases Acquitted?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-131b-acq-2021-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Pleading Guilty to Article 131b in the Army: What Sentences Followed?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-131b-plea-2021-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Air Force Article 131b Cases by the Numbers, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-131b-trend-2016-2025/) (court-martial data) - [What Sentence Follows an Air Force Obstruction Conviction?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-131b-sent-2016-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Pleading Guilty to Article 131b in the Air Force: What Sentences Followed?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-131b-plea-2016-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Is Navy-Marine Corps Obstruction Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 131b, 2017–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-131b-trend-2017-2025/) (court-martial data) - [How Much Confinement for an Article 131b Conviction in the Navy-Marine Corps?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-131b-sent-2017-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Not Guilty Pleas in Navy-Marine Corps Article 131b Cases: What Happened at Trial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-131b-acq-2017-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Pleading Guilty to Article 131b in the Navy-Marine Corps: What Sentences Followed?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-131b-plea-2017-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Article 131b (Obstruction, Numbered Since 2019): Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-131b-courts-martial/) (court-martial data) - [Article 131b UCMJ: Obstructing Justice](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-131b/?ref=bodiesburied.com) (law firm reference page) - [Forum Selection](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/forum-selection/?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.