Navy-Marine Corps Cases Charging Both Article 107 and Article 92

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Based on 39 cases · 2021–2026 · Navy and Marine Corps records · data updated October 24, 2026

Contested Cases Without a Full Acquittal

The plea is listed in 38 of the 39 records. Of those, 17 were contested, meaning the accused entered a not-guilty or mixed plea, and 21 were guilty pleas. The contested share was 45%, about the same as the 44% for all Navy and Marine Corps Article 107 cases.

Of the 17 contested cases that reached a verdict, 0 ended in a full acquittal. In all Navy and Marine Corps Article 107 cases, 7% of contested cases with a verdict ended that way. In 5 of the 17 (29%), the accused received a partial acquittal: not guilty of at least one charge or specification, but guilty of another.

Sentences Were Somewhat Longer

Confinement was part of 79% of the 39 convictions. Half of the confinement terms were 8 months or less. In all Navy and Marine Corps Article 107 cases in 2021–2026, the median was 6 months.

Confinement of more than one year came in 7 of the 39 convictions (18%), about as often as the 16% in all Navy and Marine Corps Article 107 cases. The band from 6 months to 1 year was more common here: 12 convictions (31%), compared with 21%. Another 12 convictions (31%) carried confinement under 6 months, and 8 (21%) carried none, compared with 30%.

These are adjudged sentences, as announced at trial. A plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal can lower a sentence later. Each sentence covers all the charges in the case.

Sentences by Court Level

There were 14 general courts-martial and 25 special courts-martial. The general share, 36%, compares with 35% for all Navy and Marine Corps Article 107 cases.

The median confinement at the general courts-martial was 1.6 years. At the special courts-martial, it was 5 months. Contested shares were 50% at the general level and 42% at the special level. A special court-martial cannot adjudge more than one year of confinement or a dishonorable discharge. Since 2019, a special court-martial can also be tried by a military judge alone, with a six-month confinement cap and no punitive discharge.

Punitive Discharges

Of 35 convicted enlisted members, 21 received a punitive discharge: 16 bad-conduct discharges and 5 dishonorable discharges. In all Navy and Marine Corps Article 107 cases, the share was 55%.

A punitive discharge is a bad-conduct discharge or a dishonorable discharge for an enlisted member. A sentence without one does not rule out an administrative separation later.

Who Was Charged

Among the accused, 19 were junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4), 16 were NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 0 were officers or warrant officers. That group is more senior than the accused in all Navy and Marine Corps Article 107 cases, where 59% were junior enlisted.

Charges That Came With the Orders Violation

Article 107 was never the only charge. Besides Article 92, the most frequent other charges were Article 121 (larceny) in 12 cases, Article 128 (assault) in 9, Article 81 (conspiracy) in 7, and Article 131b (obstruction) in 7. Because one sentence covers every charge, these companion charges are part of the sentences described above.

Years and Installations

The cases were tried from January 2021 to May 2026. By year, there were 14 in 2021, 3 in 2022, 7 in 2023, 4 in 2024, 7 in 2025, and 4 in 2026. The 2026 count is a partial year.

Camp Lejeune, North Carolina tried 9 cases and Norfolk, Virginia tried 5. Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay tried 4, and Parris Island, South Carolina and Quantico, Virginia tried 3 each. These five installations account for 62% of the 39 cases. Larger installations try more cases of every type.

Rules That Changed and Gaps in the Data

Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel, not commanders, decide whether to prosecute covered offenses such as sexual assault, domestic violence, and murder. When every guilty finding is for an offense after December 27, 2023, the military judge sets the sentence within new sentencing parameters.

Both changes depend on the offense date, and the records give only trial dates. The records also do not include the evidence, plea terms, nonjudicial punishment, or administrative separations.

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.