Great Lakes, Illinois Before and After 2019: How Its Courts-Martial Changed
Great Lakes, Illinois held 34 courts-martial in 2019–2023, compared with 37 in 2013–2018. Only 1 of 8 contested cases that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal, compared with 6 of 10 in the earlier period.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 7 min read
Trends › By Installation › Great Lakes, Illinois › Before and after 2019
Short answer: Great Lakes, Illinois held 34 courts-martial in 2019–2023, compared with 37 in 2013–2018. Only 1 of 8 contested cases that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal, compared with 6 of 10 in the earlier period. Drug offenses (Article 112a) were charged in 33% of cases, compared with 25% across the Navy and Marine Corps. 55% of convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge, compared with 63%.
Fewer Full Acquittals
The largest difference between 2013–2018 and 2019–2023 at Great Lakes is in contested cases. In the earlier years, 6 of 10 contested cases that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal, meaning not guilty on every charge. In 2019–2023, 1 of 8 did. A case counts as contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge, whether fully or as part of a mixed plea.
Both counts are small, and a single verdict can change the result. The figures show direction, not a stable rate.
The Rest of the Comparison
The number of cases was about the same: 37 cases over 6 years earlier, about 6 a year, and about 7 a year since, counting full years only. The contested share went from 28% to 24%. Median confinement went from 6 months to 5 months.
Convictions with confinement went from 81% to 76%. Punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members went from 60% to 55%. General courts-martial went from 32% of cases to 41%.
| 2013–2018 | 2019–2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 37 | 34 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 28% | 24% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 6 of 10 | 1 of 8 |
| Convictions with confinement | 81% | 76% |
| Median confinement | 6 months | 5 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 60% | 55% |
| General courts-martial | 32% | 41% |
Drug, Attempt, and Orders Charges
Charge lists cover 33 of the 34 cases, and each article counts once per case. Article 112a (wrongful use or possession of controlled substances) was the most common charge, in 11 cases (33%), compared with 25% across the Navy and Marine Corps. Article 80 (attempts) was charged in 18%, compared with 9%.
Article 92 (failure to obey an order or regulation) was charged in 24% of cases, compared with 18%. Article 128 (assault) was charged less often than elsewhere: 24% compared with 31%. Article 86 (AWOL) and Article 81 (conspiracy) were each charged in 12% of cases, compared with 5% and 7%.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the rest of the Navy and Marine Corps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 11 | 33% | 25% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 8 | 24% | 18% |
| Art. 128 Assault | 8 | 24% | 31% |
| Art. 80 Attempts | 6 | 18% | 9% |
| Art. 115 Malingering before 2019, communicating threats since | 4 | 12% | 3% |
| Art. 86 AWOL | 4 | 12% | 5% |
| Art. 81 Conspiracy | 4 | 12% | 7% |
| Art. 90 Willfully disobeying superior officer | 4 | 12% | 3% |
Results by Charge
All 11 cases charging Article 112a ended in a conviction on that article, with a median confinement of 5 months. All 8 Article 92 cases did, also with a median of 5 months. Article 128 had the lowest rate among the top charges, 7 of 8, and the highest median, 10 months. A case can carry a conviction on one article and an acquittal on another, so the rows overlap.
| Article | Cases charging it | Convicted of it (share) | Median confinement when convicted of it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 11 | 11 (100%) | 5 months |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 8 | 8 (8 of 8) | 5 months |
| Art. 128 Assault | 8 | 7 (7 of 8) | 10 months |
Many Sentences Under 6 Months
Of 33 convictions, 25 included confinement. The median was 5 months, about the same as 6 months across the Navy and Marine Corps. A quarter of those sentences were 1.1 years or longer. 14 convictions (42%) included under 6 months, compared with 35% service-wide. Only 3 (9%) included 6 months to 1 year, compared with 24%.
8 of 33 convictions (24%) included more than one year, the same as the 24% service-wide. None included 5 years or more. 8 convictions (24%) included no confinement, compared with 17%. These are sentences as adjudged, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each covers every charge in its case.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, the whole Navy and Marine Corps docket |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 8 | 24% | 17% |
| Under 6 months | 14 | 42% | 35% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 3 | 9% | 24% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 8 | 24% | 19% |
| 5 years or more | 0 | 0% | 5% |
Punitive Discharges
17 of 31 convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge: 14 bad-conduct and 3 dishonorable. That is 55%, lower than 63% for the Navy and Marine Corps as a whole. There was 1 convicted officer or warrant officer, and 0 were dismissed.
A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation, which these records do not include.
Pleas, Court Level, and Rank
Plea records cover 33 of the 34 cases: 25 guilty pleas and 8 contested cases. The contested share was 24%, lower than 31% elsewhere in the Navy and Marine Corps.
A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including long confinement and a dishonorable discharge. A special court-martial is limited to one year of confinement and a bad-conduct discharge. The 14 general courts-martial (41% of cases) had a median confinement of 1.1 years, and 38% were contested. The 20 special courts-martial had a median of 2 months, and 15% were contested.
By rank, the accused were 25 junior enlisted members, 7 NCOs, and 1 officer, a more junior group than the rest of the Navy and Marine Corps.
Next to Cherry Point and Pearl Harbor
MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina (34 cases) and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (39 cases) tried a similar number in these years. Great Lakes had the lowest median confinement of the 3: 5 months, compared with 1 year and 9 months. Its punitive discharge share was 55%, about the same as Cherry Point's 54% and lower than Pearl Harbor's 74%. Its contested share was 24%, the same as Pearl Harbor's.
| Installation | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Lakes, Illinois | 34 | 24% | 1 of 8 | 5 months | 55% |
| MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina | 34 | 41% | 0 of 7 | 1 year | 54% |
| Pearl Harbor, Hawaii | 39 | 24% | 3 of 9 | 9 months | 74% |
Yearly Counts and Gaps in the Data
The data covers January 2019 to September 2023, with 1 case in 2019, 7 in 2020, 8 in 2021, 10 in 2022, and 8 in 2023. Navy and Marine Corps records before December 2020 often lack the plea and forum, so plea figures here rely only on records that list them.
Offense dates are not recorded, only trial dates. The evidence, plea terms, nonjudicial punishment, administrative separations, and cases closed without action are all outside these records.
Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Every court-martial tried at Great Lakes, Illinois in 2013–2018 (37) and 2019–2023 (34).
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
- Great Lakes, Illinois: Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Installation (hub)
- What Was Tried at Great Lakes, Illinois, 2013–2018? 37 Courts-Martial
- Great Lakes, Illinois Courts-Martial, 2019–2023: What 34 Cases Show
- Great Lakes, Illinois Courts-Martial, 2024–2026: What 31 Cases Show
- Great Lakes, Illinois Before and After 2024: How Its Courts-Martial Changed
- Bremerton, Washington Before and After 2019: How Its Courts-Martial Changed
- Bremerton, Washington Before and After 2024: How Its Courts-Martial Changed
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Military Judges Who Presided Over Cases at Great Lakes, Illinois, 2019–2023
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.