False Official Statement at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial, 2017: The Year in Numbers

Trends › By Offense › Article 107 › Navy-Marine Corps, 2017

Based on 56 cases · 2017 · Navy and Marine Corps records · data updated October 24, 2026

Sentence Lengths Were About the Same as the Service Overall

Sentence lengths in false-statement cases in 2017 were similar to the rest of the Navy and Marine Corps. Confinement was part of 88% of the 51 convictions. The median confinement was 8 months, the same median as for all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2017.

The sentence bands were also similar. Sentences under 6 months were 19 convictions (37%), the same as the overall share. Sentences longer than one year were 15 of 51 convictions (29%), compared with 31%. Sentences of 5 years or more were 10% in both groups.

These are adjudged sentences, set at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each one covers every charge in the case.

Sentences Differed by Court Level

There were 27 general courts-martial and 29 special courts-martial. The general court-martial share, 48%, was a little higher than the 44% for all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2017.

The median confinement was 1.5 years at general courts-martial and 4 months at special courts-martial. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence. Every sentence longer than a year came from a general court-martial.

Punitive Discharges After Conviction

Of 47 convicted enlisted members, 28 received a punitive discharge: 19 bad-conduct and 9 dishonorable. That share, 60%, was lower than the 68% across the Navy and Marine Corps in 2017.

There were also 3 convicted officers or warrant officers, and 2 were sentenced to dismissal, the officer equivalent of a punitive discharge. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.

Many Records Do Not List the Plea

Navy and Marine Corps records before December 2020 often leave out the plea. Only 23 of the 56 records here list one. Of those, 16 were guilty pleas and 7 were contested, meaning the accused pleaded not guilty to at least one charge.

The contested share among recorded pleas was 30%, higher than the 26% for all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2017. Of the 7 contested cases that reached a verdict, 1 ended in a full acquittal. With so many pleas missing, these figures describe only part of the year. A count of 7 is too small for firm comparisons.

2017 Compared With 2016

The number of cases rose from 30 in 2016 to 56 in 2017. The contested share went from 14% to 30%. The median confinement went from 6 months to 8 months. The general court-martial share went from 37% to 48%.

Punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members were about the same: 61% in 2016 and 60% in 2017. In groups this size, a few cases can change the figures noticeably. The changes show direction, not a precise trend.

Other Charges in the Same Cases

In 54 of the 56 cases, at least one other article was charged. Article 128 (assault) appeared in 20 cases. Article 112a (drug) and Article 92 (orders violation) appeared in 12 each. Article 120 (sexual assault) appeared in 8, and Article 131b (obstruction, numbered since 2019) in 7.

A sentence covers every conviction in the case. The sentences above cover the full set of charges, not the false statement alone.

Rank and Location

Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) were 65% of the accused, NCOs 29%, and officers 6%. That is about the same as the 66% junior enlisted share across all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2017.

Camp Lejeune, North Carolina tried 8 of these cases. Bremerton, Washington, and Camp Pendleton, California tried 7 each. Quantico, Virginia tried 6, and Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay tried 5. Those 5 installations account for 59% of the 56 cases. Larger installations try more cases of every kind.

Before the Military Justice Act Took Effect

All of these trials came before the Military Justice Act of 2016 took effect on January 1, 2019. That law later set fixed panel sizes, created judge-alone special courts-martial capped at six months with no punitive discharge, and introduced written plea agreements. None of those changes applied here.

The records include only cases that reached a courtroom. They do not describe the evidence or plea terms. False statements handled through nonjudicial punishment, administrative separation, or no action are not included.

For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 107 on the law firm's website. Dates and sources for the law changes: UCMJ change timeline.

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.