Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Courts-Martial, 2024–2026: What 14 Cases Show
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson had 14 Army courts-martial from February 2024 to May 2026, 1% of the 1,252 Army cases in those years. In 13 of the 14 cases the accused pleaded guilty, and 12 of those 13 guilty pleas are recorded with a plea agreement.
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Trends › By Installation › Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson › 2024–2026
Short answer: Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson had 14 Army courts-martial from February 2024 to May 2026, 1% of the 1,252 Army cases in those years. In 13 of the 14 cases the accused pleaded guilty, and 12 of those 13 guilty pleas are recorded with a plea agreement. Every conviction included confinement, with a median of 5 months.
Guilty Pleas and Plea Agreements
The records show 13 guilty pleas and 1 contested case. The contested share, 7%, was lower than the 21% across the Army. A contested case is one where the accused pleaded not guilty to at least one charge. The 1 contested case that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal.
Of the 13 guilty pleas, 12 are recorded with a plea agreement, and 1 has no entry. Army records say whether there was an agreement, not what its terms were.
Confinement in Every Conviction
Confinement was part of 100% of the 13 convictions. The median confinement was 5 months, compared with 6 months in the rest of the Army. A quarter of the sentences were 1 year or longer.
These are adjudged sentences, set at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each one covers every charge in the case.
Domestic Violence Was the Most Common Charge
Charges are listed for all 14 cases. Article 128b (domestic violence) was charged in 5 of them (36%), compared with 25% across the Army. Article 134 (the general article) was charged in 4 (29%), compared with 21%. Article 80 (attempts) was charged in 2.
Each remaining article in the table appears in 1 case. A case with several articles is counted under each one.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, Army-wide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 128b Domestic violence | 5 | 36% | 25% |
| Art. 134 General article | 4 | 29% | 21% |
| Art. 80 Attempts | 2 | 14% | 8% |
| Art. 90 Willfully disobeying superior officer | 1 | 7% | 6% |
| Art. 113 Drunken or reckless operation of vehicle | 1 | 7% | 3% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 1 | 7% | 10% |
| Art. 131b Obstructing justice | 1 | 7% | 5% |
| Art. 121 Larceny | 1 | 7% | 7% |
Discharges
A punitive discharge followed 55% of enlisted convictions: 5 bad-conduct discharges and 1 dishonorable discharge. Across the Army, the share was 73%. The 2 convicted officers or warrant officers were not dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
No Case Went to a Panel
A military judge alone decided guilt in 13 of 13 cases with the forum listed (100%). No case went to a panel of members.
Rank and Court Level
Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 64% of the accused, NCOs 21%, and officers 14%. Across the Army, junior enlisted were 53%.
General courts-martial made up 55% of the 11 cases with a court level listed (6 of 11), and special courts-martial made up the rest. The court level is not listed for 3 cases. A special court-martial caps confinement at 1 year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.
Compared With 2020–2023
The installation had 32 Army cases in 2020–2023, about 8 a year, compared with about 5 a year since. The contested share went from 25% to 7%. The median confinement stayed at 5 months. The punitive discharge rate went from 65% to 55%. Small groups can shift with a few cases.
| 2020–2023 | 2024–2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 32 | 14 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 25% | 7% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 2 of 6 | 1 of 1 |
| Convictions with confinement | 82% | 100% |
| Median confinement | 5 months | 5 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 65% | 55% |
| General courts-martial | 62% | 55% |
Similar Army Installations
Fort Leavenworth and Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston tried 20 and 21 Army cases. Fort Leavenworth had a median confinement of 1.2 years and a punitive discharge rate of 81%. Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston had 4 months and 41%.
| Installation | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson | 14 | 7% | 1 of 1 | 5 months | 55% |
| Fort Leavenworth | 20 | 35% | 1 of 7 | 1.2 years | 81% |
| Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston | 21 | 5% | 0 of 1 | 4 months | 41% |
Rules and Limits
There were 7 cases in 2024, 3 in 2025, and 4 in 2026, a partial year. Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel decide whether to prosecute covered offenses such as domestic violence. The records give trial dates, not offense dates, so they cannot show which cases fell under that rule. They also leave out nonjudicial punishment and 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 Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson with a trial date in 2024–2026 (14 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
- Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson: Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- Army Courts-Martial: Data and Trends (hub)
- By Installation (hub)
- Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Courts-Martial, 2020–2023: What 32 Cases Show (another period)
- Fort McNair Courts-Martial, 2024–2026: What 14 Cases Show (same years, similar size)
- Fort Gordon, 2024–2026: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 12 Cases (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 Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, 2024–2026
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.