Navy-Marine Corps Article 107 Cases in 2019
The Navy and Marine Corps tried 32 courts-martial charging Article 107 (false official statement) in 2019. When a conviction included confinement, the median confinement was 8 months, longer than the 6 months across all Navy and Marine Corps cases.
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Trends › By Offense › Article 107 › Navy-Marine Corps, 2019
Short answer: The Navy and Marine Corps tried 32 courts-martial charging Article 107 (false official statement) in 2019. When a conviction included confinement, the median confinement was 8 months, longer than the 6 months across all Navy and Marine Corps cases. At the same time, 33% of convictions included no confinement, compared with 18% overall.
Longer Confinement, but More Convictions Without It
Of the 27 cases that ended in a conviction on at least one charge, 18 included confinement (67%). The other 9 convictions, or 33%, included no confinement. That is higher than the 18% across all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2019.
When confinement was adjudged, the median was 8 months, compared with 6 months overall. Sentences from 6 months to 1 year were 7 convictions (26%), compared with 23% overall. Sentences under 6 months were another 7 (26%), compared with 35%.
Long sentences were less common. Only 4 of 27 convictions (15%) were longer than one year, compared with 24% across the Navy and Marine Corps. Only 1 was 5 years or more. These are adjudged sentences, set at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 9 | 33% | 18% |
| Under 6 months | 7 | 26% | 35% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 7 | 26% | 23% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 3 | 11% | 19% |
| 5 years or more | 1 | 4% | 5% |
Sentences by Court Level
General courts-martial handled 14 of the 32 cases (44%), about the same as the 43% for all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2019. Special courts-martial handled the other 18.
The median confinement was 1.4 years at general courts-martial and 2 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 one year in this group came from a general court-martial.
More NCOs Than Junior Enlisted
NCOs were 57% of the accused, junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) 39%, and officers 4%. Across all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2019, junior enlisted members were 57% of the accused. This group was more senior.
In a group of 32, a few cases can change the rank mix. The records do not show how or why particular cases were brought to trial. In the wider Navy and Marine Corps, junior enlisted members outnumbered NCOs. In these cases, NCOs outnumbered junior enlisted members.
Punitive Discharges About the Same as Overall
Of 26 convicted enlisted members, 16 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (62%). That is about the same as the 60% across the Navy and Marine Corps in 2019. Only 1 of those discharges was dishonorable.
The 1 convicted officer or warrant officer was sentenced to dismissal, the officer equivalent of a punitive discharge. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
Other Charges in the Same Cases
In 28 of the 32 cases, at least one other article was charged. Article 92 (orders violation) was the most common additional charge, in 13 cases. Article 128 (assault) appeared in 10, Article 134 (general article) in 8, and Article 121 (larceny) and Article 131b (obstruction) in 5 each.
One sentence covers every conviction in a case, so the sentence figures include these other charges.
Changes From 2018
The number of cases went from 53 in 2018 to 32 in 2019. The median confinement rose from 6 months to 8 months. The general court-martial share rose from 32% to 44%. Convictions with confinement went from 74% to 67%.
Enlisted punitive discharges went from 57% to 62%. The contested share among recorded pleas went from 21% to 25%. In small groups, a few cases can change these figures, so the changes show direction more than size.
| 2018 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 53 | 32 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 21% | 25% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 0 of 5 | 1 of 3 |
| Convictions with confinement | 74% | 67% |
| Median confinement | 6 months | 8 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 57% | 62% |
| General courts-martial | 32% | 44% |
Pleas Recorded in Only 12 Cases
Navy and Marine Corps records before December 2020 often omit the plea. Only 12 of the 32 records here list one. Of those, 9 accused pleaded guilty and 3 contested at least one charge, meaning they pleaded not guilty to at least one charge.
The contested share, 25%, is about the same as the 28% across all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2019. Of the 3 contested cases that reached a verdict, 1 ended in a full acquittal. Counts this small mean little on their own.
Installations and Missing Information
MCAS Miramar, California, and Norfolk, Virginia, each tried 4 of these cases. Camp Pendleton, California; Bremerton, Washington; and Camp Lejeune, North Carolina tried 3 each. Together they account for 53% of the 32 cases. Larger installations try more cases of every kind.
The records give trial dates, not offense dates. They do not include the evidence, plea terms, or anything handled by nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation.
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.
How We Counted
Navy and Marine Corps courts-martial with a trial date in 2019 that charged Article 107 (32 cases), compared with all Navy and Marine Corps cases that year and with 2018.
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
- Article 107 (False Official Statements): Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Year (hub)
- False Official Statement at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial, 2018: The Year in Numbers (previous / next)
- How Navy-Marine Corps False Official Statement Cases Ended in 2020 (previous / next)
- How Has Article 107 Changed in Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial Since 2017? (the full trend)
- False Official Statement at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial, 2017: The Year in Numbers
- False Official Statement at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial, 2021: The Year in Numbers
- Article 107 Sentences in the Navy-Marine Corps: Confinement and Discharges, 2017–2025
- Article 107 explained on the law firm's website
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
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.