What Was Tried at Fort Riley, 2024–2026? 35 Courts-Martial
Fort Riley tried 35 courts-martial from January 2024 through September 2026, Orders violations (Article 92) were charged in 29% of them, compared with 10% across the Army. AWOL (Article 86) was charged in 20%, compared with 3%.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 7 min read
Trends › By Installation › Fort Riley › 2024–2026
Short answer: Fort Riley tried 35 courts-martial from January 2024 through September 2026, Orders violations (Article 92) were charged in 29% of them, compared with 10% across the Army. AWOL (Article 86) was charged in 20%, compared with 3%. The median confinement was 5 months, compared with 6 months Army-wide.
Orders Violations and AWOL Charged More Often
All 35 records list the charges. Article 92 (failure to obey an order or regulation) was charged in 10 cases and Article 86 (AWOL) in 7. Both shares were higher than the Army-wide shares of 10% and 3%. Article 112a (drugs) was charged in 14% of cases, compared with 5% across the Army.
Other charges were closer to Army rates. Article 128b (domestic violence) was charged in 26% of cases, compared with 25%. Article 128 (assault) was charged in 23%, compared with 20%. Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) was charged in 14%, compared with 11%. Article 134 (general article) was charged less often: 17% compared with 21%.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the whole Army docket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 10 | 29% | 10% |
| Art. 128b Domestic violence | 9 | 26% | 25% |
| Art. 128 Assault | 8 | 23% | 20% |
| Art. 86 AWOL | 7 | 20% | 3% |
| Art. 134 General article | 6 | 17% | 21% |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 5 | 14% | 11% |
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 5 | 14% | 5% |
| Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child | 3 | 9% | 8% |
Convictions in Every Case on the Top Charges
For the 3 most common charges, every case charging the article ended in a conviction on it: 10 of 10 for Article 92, 9 of 9 for Article 128b, and 8 of 8 for Article 128.
The median confinement for those convictions was 4 months for Article 92 and Article 128b, and 5 months for Article 128. A case can carry several of these articles, so the rows overlap.
| Article | Cases charging it | Convicted of it (share) | Median confinement when convicted of it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 10 | 10 (100%) | 4 months |
| Art. 128b Domestic violence | 9 | 9 (9 of 9) | 4 months |
| Art. 128 Assault | 8 | 8 (8 of 8) | 5 months |
Lower Median Confinement Than in 2020–2023
Median confinement went from 8 months in 2020–2023 to 5 months in 2024–2026. The share of convictions with confinement was about the same, 89% and 91%. The punitive discharge share went from 81% to 79%.
The contested share went from 18% to 23%. Full acquittals in contested cases that reached a verdict went from 3 of 8 to 1 of 8. General courts-martial went from 78% to 74% of cases with a court level listed. Cases went from about 12 a year to about 15 a year, counting full years only. Groups this small change with a few cases, so these are directions, not precise measures.
| 2020–2023 | 2024–2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 50 | 35 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 18% | 23% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 3 of 8 | 1 of 8 |
| Convictions with confinement | 89% | 91% |
| Median confinement | 8 months | 5 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 81% | 79% |
| General courts-martial | 78% | 74% |
Length of Sentences
Of 34 convictions, 31 included confinement. The median was 5 months, lower than 6 months across the Army. A quarter of those sentences were 1.3 years or longer.
53% of convictions included under 6 months, compared with 39% Army-wide. Sentences longer than one year were less common: 8 of 34 convictions (24%), compared with 30%. Only a general court-martial can adjudge more than one year of confinement.
These are adjudged sentences, set at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. They cover every charge in a case.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, all Army cases in those years |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 3 | 9% | 15% |
| Under 6 months | 18 | 53% | 39% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 5 | 15% | 17% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 6 | 18% | 21% |
| 5 years or more | 2 | 6% | 9% |
Discharges After Conviction
Among 33 enlisted members convicted, 26 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (79%), compared with 73% across the rest of the Army. Of those 26, 7 were dishonorable.
The 1 convicted officer or warrant officer was dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out an administrative separation later.
Pleas, Agreements, and Forum
Of 35 accused, 27 pleaded guilty and 8 pleaded not guilty to at least one charge. The contested share was 23%, about the same as 21% across the Army. All 27 guilty pleas are recorded with a plea agreement. Army records do not give the terms.
Members heard 11% of cases with the forum listed. All 4 were enlisted panels. The other 31 were judge alone. The accused usually chooses the forum, and most judge-alone cases are guilty pleas.
Rank and Court Level
By rank, 23 accused were junior enlisted, 11 were NCOs, and 1 was an officer.
General courts-martial made up 25 of the 34 cases with a court level listed (74%), compared with 69% Army-wide. The court level is not listed for 1 case. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.
Compared With Camp Humphreys and Fort Benning
Camp Humphreys tried 36 cases and Fort Benning 37 in the same years. Fort Riley had the highest punitive discharge share of the 3: 79%, compared with 61% at Camp Humphreys and 60% at Fort Benning.
Median confinement was 5 months at Fort Riley and Fort Benning and 6 months at Camp Humphreys. Contested shares were 23% here, 31% at Camp Humphreys, and 20% at Fort Benning.
| Installation | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Riley | 35 | 23% | 1 of 8 | 5 months | 79% |
| Camp Humphreys | 36 | 31% | 4 of 11 | 6 months | 61% |
| Fort Benning | 37 | 20% | 4 of 7 | 5 months | 60% |
Rule Changes and Gaps
There were 18 cases in 2024, 12 in 2025, and 5 in the partial year of 2026. These cases were 3% of the 1,252 Army courts-martial in those years.
Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel decide whether to prosecute covered offenses such as sexual assault, domestic violence, and murder, New sentencing parameters apply when every guilty finding is for an offense after December 27, 2023. The records have no offense dates, so these trials include cases under both the old and new rules. Cases resolved by nonjudicial punishment, administrative separation, or no action are not included, and the evidence and plea terms are not described.
Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Every court-martial in the data tried at Fort Riley with a trial date in 2024–2026 (35 cases), compared with all 1,252 Army trials in those years. Dates are trial dates.
Source: public court-martial records (Article 140a, UCMJ) in Military Trial Results, data updated October 24, 2026. Definitions, sources, and known gaps: how this data was built. Errors: content@bodiesburied.com.
Related Analysis
- Fort Riley: Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- Army Courts-Martial: Data and Trends (hub)
- By Installation (hub)
- Fort Riley Courts-Martial, 2020–2023: What 50 Cases Show (another period)
- Inside 36 Courts-Martial at Camp Humphreys, 2024–2026 (same years, similar size)
- Inside 37 Courts-Martial at Fort Benning, 2024–2026 (same years, similar size)
- Camp Humphreys, 2020–2023: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 69 Cases
- Fort Bliss, 2020–2023: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 102 Cases
- Fort Bragg Courts-Martial, 2020–2023: What 143 Cases Show
- Fort Carson, 2024–2026: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 45 Cases
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Military Judges Who Presided Over Cases at Fort Riley, 2024–2026
- Larry A. Babin Jr.
- Gregory R. Bockin
- Jacqueline L. Emanuel
- Jerrod B. Fussnecker
- Steven C. Neill
- Scott A. Oravec
- Alexander N. Pickands
- Laquisha S. Ross
Names and links only. Each judge's record of pleas, findings, and sentences is on their Know Your Judge page, part of the Court-Martial Characters membership.
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.