Domestic Violence Cases at Fort Bragg: 2021–2023 vs. 2024–2026

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Based on 28 cases · 2024–2026 · Army records · data updated October 24, 2026

Domestic Violence Cases at Fort Bragg

Fort Bragg tried 85 courts-martial from January 2024 through August 2026, and 28 of them charged Article 128b. The base tried 9 of these cases in 2024, 14 in 2025, and 5 in 2026, a partial year. In 2020–2023, it averaged about 8 cases a year, compared with about 12 a year since, counting full years only.

Article 128b applies only to offenses on or after January 1, 2019. Domestic violence before that date was charged under other articles, so the earlier comparison period here starts in 2020.

Fewer General Courts-Martial and Fewer Discharges

Since December 28, 2023, Article 128b has been a covered offense, so special trial counsel, not commanders, decide whether to prosecute it. In the same period, general courts-martial went from 92% of cases in 2020–2023 to 61% in 2024–2026. Punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members went from 88% to 65%.

Other figures were about the same. The contested share was 29% in both periods. The median confinement was 6 months in both. Convictions with confinement went from 83% to 88%. The change in who decides to prosecute happened in the same years, but the records cannot show whether it caused any of these changes. They give trial dates, not offense dates, so 2024–2026 includes cases under both the old and new rules.

Contested Cases and Acquittals

Of the 28 cases, 8 had a not-guilty or mixed plea and 20 had a guilty plea. The contested share was 29%, compared with 24% in Army Article 128b cases overall. A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge.

Of the 8 contested cases that reached a verdict, 3 ended in a full acquittal. In 2020–2023, none of the 7 contested cases that reached a verdict did. All 20 guilty pleas are recorded with a plea agreement. Army records say only that an agreement existed, not what it said.

What Sentences Followed?

Confinement was part of 88% of the 25 convictions. The median confinement was 6 months, compared with 5 months in Army Article 128b cases overall. A quarter of terms were 1 year or longer.

Terms under 6 months were the most common, in 11 convictions (44%, compared with 43% across the Army). Terms from 6 months to under 1 year were more common here: 24% compared with 15%. Terms from 1 year to under 5 years were less common: 16% compared with 23%. Sentences longer than one year were about as common as elsewhere: 5 of 25 convictions (20%), compared with 21%. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement limit, clemency, or appeal.

General and Special Courts-Martial

General courts-martial tried 17 of the 28 cases (61%), and special courts-martial tried 11. In general courts-martial, 93% of convictions included confinement, with a median of 8 months. In special courts-martial, 82% did, with a median of 6 months.

A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence.

Discharges and Dismissals

65% of convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge: 12 bad-conduct discharges and 3 dishonorable discharges. In Army Article 128b cases overall, the share was 72%. Of 2 convicted officers or warrant officers, 1 was dismissed.

A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation, which these records do not include.

Other Charges in the Same Cases

Article 128b was the only charge in 15 of the 28 cases. When other articles were charged, the most common were Article 120 (sexual assault) in 5 cases, Article 128 (assault) in 4, Article 90 (disobeying an officer) in 3, and Article 134 (general article) in 3. Sentences cover every charge in a case.

Who Was Accused and Who Decided

The accused were 13 junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4), 11 NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 4 officers or warrant officers. That mix was more senior than Army Article 128b cases overall, where 53% were junior enlisted.

A military judge alone decided 23 cases. Members heard 15% of the cases with a recorded forum: 3 enlisted panels and 1 officer panel. The accused usually chooses the forum.

What the Records Leave Out

Trial records show the charges, pleas, findings, and sentence. They do not show the evidence, the plea terms, or domestic violence allegations handled outside a court-martial, such as through nonjudicial punishment or administrative action.

For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 128b on the law firm's website. Dates and sources for the law changes: UCMJ change timeline.

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.