> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.bodiesburied.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # JBSA - Lackland, Texas Courts-Martial, 2019–2023: What 25 Cases Show - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/jbsa-lackland-texas-courts-martial-2019-2023/ - Published: 2026-10-28T06:31:22.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-30T08:02:54.000Z - Description: JBSA - Lackland, Texas tried 25 courts-martial from January 2019 to November 2023, 2% of the Air Force total of 1,361. 8 of 10 decided contested cases ended in a full acquittal (80%), compared with 51% across the Air Force. - Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart - Tags: Understanding Trends, JBSA - Lackland, Texas, Air Force [Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [By Installation](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-installation/) › [JBSA - Lackland, Texas](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-at-jbsa-lackland-texas/) › 2019–2023 **Short answer:** JBSA - Lackland, Texas tried 25 courts-martial from January 2019 to November 2023, 2% of the Air Force total of 1,361\. 8 of 10 decided contested cases ended in a full acquittal (80%), compared with 51% across the Air Force. Article 128 (assault) was charged in 33% of the cases with charges listed, compared with 19% across the Air Force. Based on 25 cases · 2019–2023 · Air Force records · data updated October 24, 2026 ## Full Acquittal in 8 of 10 Contested Verdicts A contested case is one where the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. Of the 10 contested cases at Lackland that reached a verdict, 8 ended in a full acquittal (80%) and 1 in a partial acquittal (10%), meaning not guilty of at least one charge but guilty of another. The full-acquittal rate is higher than the 51% in the rest of the Air Force. Air Force results record one verdict per case, so a partial acquittal appears only when an appeals opinion reports it. The partial-acquittal count may therefore be low. ## Compared With Hill and McConnell Hill AFB, Utah tried 25 cases in the same years and McConnell AFB, Kansas tried 24, a similar number of Air Force cases. Their contested shares were 47% and 57%, compared with 56% at Lackland. The results were different. Hill had 1 full acquittal in 9 decided contested cases, and McConnell had 3 of 7\. Lackland had 8 of 10\. Hill's median confinement was 8 months, compared with 4 months at both Lackland and McConnell. Hill's punitive discharge rate for enlisted convictions was 83%, compared with 60% at Lackland and 65% at McConnell. | Installation | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) | | ---------------------- | ----- | --------- | ----------------------------------- | ------------------ | ----------------------------- | | JBSA - Lackland, Texas | 25 | 56% | 8 of 10 | 4 months | 60% | | Hill AFB, Utah | 25 | 47% | 1 of 9 | 8 months | 83% | | McConnell AFB, Kansas | 24 | 57% | 3 of 7 | 4 months | 65% | ## Pleas and Forum Of the 18 records that list a plea, 10 were not-guilty or mixed pleas and 8 were guilty pleas, a contested share of 56%, compared with 50% across the Air Force. A military judge alone heard 17 cases, an enlisted panel 6, and an officer panel 2\. Members heard 32% of all cases, compared with 38% in the rest of the Air Force. Among contested cases, members heard 6 of 10 (60%). The accused usually chooses whether a judge or a panel decides guilt. ## Which Charges Were More Common? Only 15 of the 25 records list charges, and Air Force records rarely list charges in full acquittals, so these shares mostly describe cases that ended in a conviction. Article 112a (drug) was the most common charge, in 6 cases (40%, compared with 41% in the rest of the Air Force). Several articles were charged much more often than across the Air Force. Article 128 (assault) and Article 134 (the general article) were each charged in 33% of cases, compared with 19% and 21%. Article 90 (willfully disobeying a superior officer) was charged in 27%, compared with 2%. Article 115 (communicating threats) and Article 86 (AWOL) were each charged in 20%, compared with 4% and 5%. Article 114 (endangerment since 2019) was charged in 13%, compared with 1%. With so few cases, each case changes these shares by a large amount. | UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the rest of the Air Force | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | ---------- | -------------------------------- | | [Art. 112a](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-112a-drug-offenses/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 6 | 40% | 41% | | [Art. 128](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-128/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Assault | 5 | 33% | 19% | | [Art. 134](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-134/?ref=bodiesburied.com) General article | 5 | 33% | 21% | | [Art. 90](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-90/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Willfully disobeying superior officer | 4 | 27% | 2% | | [Art. 92](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-92/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Failure to obey order or regulation | 3 | 20% | 16% | | [Art. 115](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-115/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Malingering before 2019, communicating threats since | 3 | 20% | 4% | | [Art. 86](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-86/?ref=bodiesburied.com) AWOL | 3 | 20% | 5% | | Art. 114 Dueling before 2019, endangerment since | 2 | 13% | 1% | ## Confinement and Discharges After Conviction Of 15 convictions, 13 included confinement. The median confinement was 4 months, the same as for the Air Force as a whole. A quarter of the sentences were 10 months or longer. These are adjudged sentences, set at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal, and they cover every charge in a case. 9 of 15 convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge: 8 bad-conduct and 1 dishonorable. That rate, 60%, compares with 56% across the Air Force. A sentence without one does not rule out a later administrative separation. ## General Courts-Martial Were the Larger Share Of the 25 cases, 15 were general courts-martial (60%, compared with 53% across the Air Force) and 10 were special courts-martial. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. Sentences were longer at the general level. General courts-martial had a median confinement of 10 months. Special courts-martial had a median confinement of 3 months. ## Changes From 2016–2018 In 2016–2018, Lackland tried 19 cases, about 6 a year. In 2019–2023 it tried about 5 a year. The median confinement went from 1.6 years to 4 months, and the share of convictions with any confinement went from 77% to 87%. Punitive discharges for enlisted convictions went from 69% to 60%. General courts-martial went from 63% to 60%. The Military Justice Act of 2016 took effect on January 1, 2019, at the start of the later period. These records cannot show whether that law affected these numbers. With groups this small, changes show direction only. | | 2016–2018 | 2019–2023 | | ----------------------------- | --------- | --------- | | Cases | 19 | 25 | | Contested (of pleas recorded) | — | 56% | | Convictions with confinement | 77% | 87% | | Median confinement | 1.6 years | 4 months | | Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 69% | 60% | | General courts-martial | 63% | 60% | ## Who Faced Trial The accused were 16 junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4), 7 NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 2 officers or warrant officers. That mix is similar to the rest of the Air Force, where 64% were junior enlisted. The yearly counts were small and similar: 5 in each of 2019, 2020, and 2021, 3 in 2022, and 7 in 2023. ## What the Records Do Not Show The records give trial dates rather than offense dates, and they do not describe the evidence. Air Force records never report plea agreements and, through 2019, rarely list a guilty plea. Matters handled through nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation do not appear at all. Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: [UCMJ change timeline](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/ucmj-change-timeline/). ### How We Counted Every court-martial in the data tried at JBSA - Lackland, Texas with a trial date in 2019–2023 (25 cases), compared with all 1,361 Air Force trials in those years. Dates are trial dates. Source: public court-martial records (Article 140a, UCMJ) in [Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/), data updated October 24, 2026\. Definitions, sources, and known gaps: [how this data was built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/how-the-military-trial-results-data-was-built/). Errors: content@bodiesburied.com. ## Related Analysis - [JBSA - Lackland, Texas: Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-at-jbsa-lackland-texas/) (hub) - [Air Force Courts-Martial: Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial/) (hub) - [By Installation](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-installation/) (hub) - [What Was Tried at JBSA - Lackland, Texas, 2016–2018? 19 Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/jbsa-lackland-texas-courts-martial-2016-2018/) (another period) - [What Was Tried at JBSA - Lackland, Texas, 2024–2026? 13 Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/jbsa-lackland-texas-courts-martial-2024-2026/) (another period) - [Inside 25 Courts-Martial at Hill AFB, Utah, 2019–2023](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/hill-afb-utah-courts-martial-2019-2023/) (same years, similar size) - [McConnell AFB, Kansas Courts-Martial, 2019–2023: What 24 Cases Show](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/mcconnell-afb-kansas-courts-martial-2019-2023/) (same years, similar size) - [Andersen AFB, Guam Courts-Martial, 2016–2018: What 13 Cases Show](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/andersen-afb-guam-courts-martial-2016-2018/) - [Aviano AB, Italy Courts-Martial, 2016–2018: What 16 Cases Show](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/aviano-ab-italy-courts-martial-2016-2018/) - [Aviano AB, Italy, 2019–2023: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 17 Cases](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/aviano-ab-italy-courts-martial-2019-2023/) - [Search every case in Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/) (members) ← Previous: [What Was Tried at JBSA - Lackland, Texas, 2016–2018? 19 Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/jbsa-lackland-texas-courts-martial-2016-2018/)Next: [What Was Tried at JBSA - Lackland, Texas, 2024–2026? 13 Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/jbsa-lackland-texas-courts-martial-2024-2026/) → ## Military Judges Who Presided Over Cases at JBSA - Lackland, Texas, 2019–2023 - [Thomas J. Alford](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-thomas-j-alford/) - [Eric J. Cadotte](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-eric-j-cadotte/) - [Jacquelyn M. Christilles](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-jacquelyn-m-christilles/) - [Elizabeth M. Hernandez](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-elizabeth-m-hernandez/) - [Shad R. Kidd](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-shad-r-kidd/) - [Bradley A. Morris](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-bradley-a-morris/) - [Bradley J. Palmer](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-bradley-j-palmer/) - [Sterling C. Pendleton](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-sterling-c-pendleton/) - [Dayle P. Percle](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-dayle-p-percle/) - [Mark F. Rosenow](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-mark-f-rosenow/) - [Thomas A. Smith](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-thomas-a-smith/) - [Matthew D. Talcott](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-matthew-d-talcott/) - [Charles G. Warren](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-charles-g-warren/) 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](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judges/) 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](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/?ref=bodiesburied.com). This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.