Inside 11 Courts-Martial at Groton, Connecticut, 2019–2023
The records hold 11 courts-martial at Groton, Connecticut from 2019 to 2023, compared with 26 in 2013 to 2017. 36% of the cases were contested, compared with 31% across the Navy and Marine Corps. 2 of the 4 contested cases that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal.
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Trends › By Installation › Groton, Connecticut › 2019–2023
Short answer: The records hold 11 courts-martial at Groton, Connecticut from 2019 to 2023, compared with 26 in 2013 to 2017. 36% of the cases were contested, compared with 31% across the Navy and Marine Corps. 2 of the 4 contested cases that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal.
Fewer Cases Than in 2013 to 2017
Groton had 26 cases in 2013 to 2017, about 5 a year. Since then the pace has been about 2 a year, counting full years only. The 11 cases here are 1% of the 1,991 Navy and Marine Corps courts-martial in 2019 to 2023.
The contested share went from 23% to 36%. The median confinement went from 10 months to 8 months. General courts-martial went from 65% of cases to 45%. Small groups can shift with a few cases, so these changes show direction only.
| 2013–2017 | 2019–2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 26 | 11 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 23% | 36% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 2 of 6 | 2 of 4 |
| Convictions with confinement | 83% | 7 of 9 |
| Median confinement | 10 months | 8 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 91% | 6 of 8 |
| General courts-martial | 65% | 45% |
Pleas and Full Acquittals
7 accused pleaded guilty and 4 contested at least one charge. A contested case is one with a not-guilty or mixed plea. The 36% contested share is higher than the 31% across the Navy and Marine Corps.
Of the 4 contested cases that reached a verdict, 2 ended in a full acquittal. In 2013 to 2017, 2 of 6 did.
Sentences
7 of 9 convictions included confinement, and the median term was 8 months. 6 of 8 convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge, compared with 91% in 2013 to 2017.
These are adjudged sentences, as imposed at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
Charges in the Records
All 11 records list charges. Article 134, the general article, appears in 3 cases (27%), compared with 18% in the rest of the Navy and Marine Corps. Article 112a (drug use or possession) and Article 128 (assault) also appear in 3 each (27%), compared with 25% and 31%.
Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) appears in 2 cases (18%). Article 107, Article 131b, Article 92, and Article 120b each appear in 1. A case is counted under each article it charges.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the rest of the Navy and Marine Corps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 134 General article | 3 | 27% | 18% |
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 3 | 27% | 25% |
| Art. 128 Assault | 3 | 27% | 31% |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 2 | 18% | 14% |
| Art. 107 False official statements | 1 | 9% | 8% |
| Art. 131b Obstructing justice | 1 | 9% | 6% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 1 | 9% | 18% |
| Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child | 1 | 9% | 7% |
Rank and Court Level
8 accused were junior enlisted (E-1 to E-4), 2 were NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 1 was an officer. That is more junior than the Navy and Marine Corps as a whole, where 64% were junior enlisted.
5 of the 11 cases were general courts-martial (45%), about the same as the 44% across the Navy and Marine Corps. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.
Groton, MCAS Yuma, and Great Lakes
MCAS Yuma, Arizona tried 27 cases and Great Lakes, Illinois tried 34 in these years. Yuma had the same 36% contested share as Groton, and Great Lakes had 24%. Their median confinement was 7 months and 5 months.
| Installation | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Groton, Connecticut | 11 | 36% | 2 of 4 | 8 months | 6 of 8 |
| MCAS Yuma, Arizona | 27 | 36% | 0 of 4 | 7 months | 58% |
| Great Lakes, Illinois | 34 | 24% | 1 of 8 | 5 months | 55% |
What the Records Leave Out
The trials ran from December 2019 to December 2023: 1 in 2019, 1 in 2020, 4 in 2021, 2 in 2022, and 3 in 2023. The records give trial dates, not offense dates, and they do not show the evidence, plea terms, or cases handled by nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation.
Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Every court-martial in the data tried at Groton, Connecticut with a trial date in 2019–2023 (11 cases), compared with all 1,991 Navy and Marine Corps 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
- Groton, Connecticut: Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial: Data and Trends (hub)
- By Installation (hub)
- What Was Tried at Groton, Connecticut, 2013–2017? 26 Courts-Martial (another period)
- MCAS Yuma, Arizona, 2019–2023: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 27 Cases (same years, similar size)
- Great Lakes, Illinois Courts-Martial, 2019–2023: What 34 Cases Show (same years, similar size)
- Bremerton, Washington Courts-Martial, 2024–2026: What 52 Cases Show
- Bremerton, Washington, 2013–2018: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 221 Cases
- Bremerton, Washington, 2019–2023: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 153 Cases
- Camp Lejeune, North Carolina Courts-Martial, 2019–2023: What 283 Cases Show
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Military Judges Who Presided Over Cases at Groton, Connecticut, 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.