JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, 2016–2018 vs. 2019–2023: A Side-by-Side Look
JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey tried 39 courts-martial in 2019–2023, up from 13 in 2016–2018. Of 15 contested cases that reached a verdict, 11 ended in a full acquittal (73%), compared with 51% in the rest of the Air Force.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Trends › By Installation › JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey › Before and after 2019
Short answer: JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey tried 39 courts-martial in 2019–2023, up from 13 in 2016–2018. Of 15 contested cases that reached a verdict, 11 ended in a full acquittal (73%), compared with 51% in the rest of the Air Force. Article 113 was charged in 18% of the cases with charges listed, compared with 4% Air Force-wide.
Full Acquittals in 11 of 15 Contested Cases
A contested case is one where the accused pleaded not guilty to at least one charge. Of 15 contested cases with a verdict, 11 ended in a full acquittal, a finding of not guilty on every charge (73%). The rate in the rest of the Air Force was 51%.
Another 2 cases ended in a partial acquittal: not guilty of at least one charge, but guilty of another. Air Force results give one verdict per case, so a partial acquittal appears only when an appeals opinion reports it.
Members heard 14 of the 15 contested cases (93%). Across all cases, a military judge alone decided 24, enlisted panels 10, and officer panels 5. Members heard 38% of the cases, the same share as across the Air Force.
Pleas Recorded in 36 of 39 Cases
The plea is listed in 36 records: 21 guilty pleas and 15 not-guilty or mixed pleas. The contested share of 42% was lower than the 50% in all Air Force cases. Air Force records from 2016 to 2019 rarely list a guilty plea, so there is no earlier contested share to compare.
Driving and Arrest Charges Above the Air Force Share
Charges are listed for 28 of the 39 cases. Article 128 (assault), Article 134 (the general article), and Article 112a (drugs) each appeared in 6 cases (21%). The drug share was lower than the 41% across the Air Force.
Article 113 appeared in 5 cases (18%), compared with 4% Air Force-wide. Article 113 covered misbehavior of a sentinel before 2019 and drunken or reckless driving since. Article 87a (resistance, flight, breach of arrest) appeared in 3 cases (11%), compared with 1%.
Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) appeared in 4 cases (14%), Article 92 (failure to obey an order or regulation) in 3 (11%), and Article 86 (AWOL) in 2 (7%). Each article counts once per case.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the Air Force as a whole |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 128 Assault | 6 | 21% | 19% |
| Art. 134 General article | 6 | 21% | 21% |
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 6 | 21% | 41% |
| Art. 113 Misbehavior of a sentinel before 2019, drunken or reckless driving since | 5 | 18% | 4% |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 4 | 14% | 11% |
| Art. 87a Resistance, flight, breach of arrest | 3 | 11% | 1% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 3 | 11% | 16% |
| Art. 86 AWOL | 2 | 7% | 5% |
Sentences by Court Level
Of 28 convictions, 93% included confinement, compared with 45% in 2016–2018. The median confinement was 6 months, compared with 4 months in 2016–2018 and 4 months across the Air Force. A quarter of the terms with confinement were 1.5 years or longer.
The 21 general courts-martial had a median confinement of 1.7 years. The 18 special courts-martial had a median of 2 months. Contested shares were 68% at general courts-martial and 12% at special courts-martial.
Sentences longer than one year were adjudged in 7 of 28 convictions (25%), about the same as the 23% Air Force-wide. Confinement of 6 months to 1 year made up 7 convictions (25%), compared with 15% Air Force-wide. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, Air Force-wide |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 2 | 7% | 12% |
| Under 6 months | 12 | 43% | 50% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 7 | 25% | 15% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 6 | 21% | 17% |
| 5 years or more | 1 | 4% | 6% |
Punitive Discharges
A punitive discharge followed 50% of enlisted convictions: 7 bad-conduct discharges and 7 dishonorable discharges. The Air Force share was 56%. In 2016–2018, 3 of 9 convicted enlisted members at the base received one. A member who did not receive a punitive discharge can still be separated administratively.
| 2016–2018 | 2019–2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 13 | 39 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | — | 42% |
| Convictions with confinement | 45% | 93% |
| Median confinement | 4 months | 6 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 3 of 9 | 50% |
| General courts-martial | 31% | 54% |
More Cases Since 2019
Trials ran from February 2019 through December 2023: 3 in 2019, 1 in 2020, 9 in 2021, 9 in 2022, and 17 in 2023. The base had 13 cases in 2016–2018. Counting full years only, that is about 4 a year before 2019 and about 8 a year after.
General courts-martial heard 54% of the later cases, compared with 31% in 2016–2018 and 53% in the rest of the Air Force.
Junior Enlisted Accused
By rank, the accused were 29 junior enlisted members, 9 NCOs, and 1 officer. The group was more junior than the Air Force as a whole.
Similar Installations
Minot AFB, North Dakota tried 39 cases in these years and Ramstein AB, Germany tried 38. Minot had a similar full acquittal count in contested cases, 11 of 16, and Ramstein had 9 of 19. Median confinement was 8 months at Minot and 5 months at Ramstein. Punitive discharge rates were 68% and 43%.
| Installation | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey | 39 | 42% | 11 of 15 | 6 months | 50% |
| Minot AFB, North Dakota | 39 | 48% | 11 of 16 | 8 months | 68% |
| Ramstein AB, Germany | 38 | 61% | 9 of 19 | 5 months | 43% |
Record Limits
The records do not show the evidence, the plea terms, or conduct handled outside a court-martial. Air Force records rarely list charges in full acquittals and never report plea agreements.
Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Every court-martial tried at JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey in 2016–2018 (13) and 2019–2023 (39).
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
- JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey: Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Installation (hub)
- Inside 39 Courts-Martial at JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, 2019–2023
- Inside 14 Courts-Martial at JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, 2024–2026
- JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey Courts-Martial, 2016–2018: What 13 Cases Show
- JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, 2019–2023 vs. 2024–2026: A Side-by-Side Look
- Andersen AFB, Guam Before and After 2019: How Its Courts-Martial Changed
- Aviano AB, Italy, 2016–2018 vs. 2019–2023: A Side-by-Side Look
- Aviano AB, Italy, 2019–2023 vs. 2024–2026: A Side-by-Side Look
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Military Judges Who Presided Over Cases at JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, 2019–2023
- Christopher D. James
- Diana L. Johnson
- Brian C. Mason
- Matthew N. McCall
- Mark W. Milam
- Tyler B. Musselman
- Andrew R. Norton
- Dayle P. Percle
- Julie L. Pitvorec
- Joshua D. Rosen
- Michael A. Schrama
- Shaun S. Speranza
- Brian Michael Thompson
- Charles G. Warren
- Pilar G. Wennrich
- Charles E. Wiedie Jr.
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.