Navy-Marine Corps Article 107 Cases in 2022
The Navy and Marine Corps tried 19 courts-martial charging Article 107 (false official statement) in 2022, down from 42 in 2021. All 19 ended in a conviction on at least one charge.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 5 min read
Trends › By Offense › Article 107 › Navy-Marine Corps, 2022
Short answer: The Navy and Marine Corps tried 19 courts-martial charging Article 107 (false official statement) in 2022, down from 42 in 2021. All 19 ended in a conviction on at least one charge. The median confinement was 8 months, compared with 6 months for all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2022, and 61% of convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge, compared with 64% across the service.
How 2022 Compared With 2021
The case count fell from 42 in 2021 to 19 in 2022, with trials from February 2022 through December 2022. The contested share went from 41% to 32%, and the general court-martial share from 43% to 37%.
Sentence measures did not all move the same way. The median confinement went from 6 months to 8 months, but convictions with confinement went from 88% to 74%. Punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members went from 68% to 61%. With groups this small, a few cases can move these figures, so they show direction rather than precise change.
| 2021 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 42 | 19 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 41% | 32% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 1 of 17 | 0 of 6 |
| Convictions with confinement | 88% | 74% |
| Median confinement | 6 months | 8 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 68% | 61% |
| General courts-martial | 43% | 37% |
No Full Acquittals in Contested Cases
Of the 19 cases, 13 ended in a guilty plea and 6 were contested. A contested case is one where the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. The contested share, 32%, was about the same as the 33% for all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2022.
None of the 6 contested cases that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal. In 2021, 1 of 17 did.
Confinement in 14 of 19 Sentences
Confinement was part of 14 of the 19 sentences. The median was 8 months, longer than the 6 months for all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2022. Among the sentences with confinement, a quarter were 1.2 years or longer.
These figures are adjudged sentences: what was announced at trial, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each one covers every charge in the case.
Discharges and Dismissals
Of 18 convicted enlisted members, 11 received a punitive discharge: 8 bad-conduct discharges and 3 dishonorable discharges. That 61% share compares with 64% for all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2022.
The records show 1 convicted officer or warrant officer, and that sentence did not include a dismissal. Without a punitive discharge, an administrative separation can still follow, but these records do not show one.
What Else Was Charged
Only 4 of the 19 cases charged Article 107 by itself. Article 121 (larceny), Article 128 (assault), and Article 112a (drug) each appeared in 4 cases. Article 92 (orders violation) and Article 120 (sexual assault) each appeared in 3.
Rank and Court Level
The accused included 10 junior enlisted members, 8 NCOs, and 1 officer. That group was more senior than all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2022.
Special courts-martial heard 12 of the cases and general courts-martial heard 7. The general share, 37%, was lower than the 42% across the service. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.
What These Records Leave Out
These are cases that reached a courtroom. False statements handled by nonjudicial punishment, administrative separation, or no action are not in the data. The records also do not describe the evidence or any plea terms.
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 2022 that charged Article 107 (19 cases), compared with all Navy and Marine Corps cases that year and with 2021.
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, 2021: The Year in Numbers (previous / next)
- Navy-Marine Corps Article 107 Cases in 2023 (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, 2018: The Year in Numbers
- How Navy-Marine Corps False Official Statement Cases Ended in 2020
- 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.