Navy-Marine Corps Article 112a Cases in 2024
Of 17 contested Navy and Marine Corps drug cases that reached a verdict in 2024, 8 ended in a full acquittal (47%). That was much higher than the 27% across all Navy and Marine Corps cases that year.
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Trends › By Offense › Article 112a › Navy-Marine Corps, 2024
Short answer: Of 17 contested Navy and Marine Corps drug cases that reached a verdict in 2024, 8 ended in a full acquittal (47%). That was much higher than the 27% across all Navy and Marine Corps cases that year. The records hold 54 courts-martial charging Article 112a (drug) in 2024, with a median confinement of 4 months, compared with 5 months overall.
Full Acquittals in Contested Cases Were Common
A full acquittal means not guilty of every charge. Full acquittals ended 8 of the 17 contested cases that reached a verdict. Another 5 were partial acquittals: not guilty of at least one charge or specification, but guilty of another.
The 47% full-acquittal rate was higher than the 27% for all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2024. For these cases in 2023, the count was 2 of 8. With only 17 decided cases, a few verdicts would change the rate considerably.
How Often the Accused Pleaded Guilty
A plea is on record in 53 of the 54 cases: 36 guilty pleas and 17 not-guilty or mixed pleas. A contested case is one where the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. The 32% contested share was about the same as the 34% across the Navy and Marine Corps in 2024. It was higher than the 22% for these cases in 2023.
Nearly All Cases Were Special Courts-Martial
Only 7 of the 54 cases were general courts-martial. The other 47 were special courts-martial. The general court-martial share of 13% compares with 38% across all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2024. For these cases in 2023, it was 23%.
A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. The 4 dishonorable discharges and the 5 terms of more than one year therefore all came from the 7 general courts-martial.
Many Convictions Included No Confinement
Of 45 convictions, 32 included confinement. The median confinement was 4 months, lower than the 5 months for all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2024.
No confinement was adjudged in 13 convictions (29%), compared with 25% overall. The most common sentence was under 6 months of confinement: 20 convictions (44%), compared with 38%. Confinement of more than one year was adjudged in 5 of 45 convictions (11%), compared with 22% across the Navy and Marine Corps. Of those, 2 were 5 years or more.
These are adjudged sentences, set at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each covers every charge in the case.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 13 | 29% | 25% |
| Under 6 months | 20 | 44% | 38% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 7 | 16% | 15% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 3 | 7% | 15% |
| 5 years or more | 2 | 4% | 7% |
Discharges After Conviction
Of 42 convicted enlisted members, 26 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (62%). That was higher than the 58% across the Navy and Marine Corps in 2024. Only 4 of those were dishonorable. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
No officers were charged in these cases. Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 63% of the accused and NCOs 37%. The junior enlisted share across the Navy and Marine Corps was 58%.
Changes Since 2023
The number of cases went from 39 in 2023 to 54 in 2024. Median confinement went from 3 months to 4 months. Punitive discharges for enlisted members went from 51% to 62%. Convictions that included confinement went down, from 81% to 71%.
Groups this small can change by a few cases, so these figures show direction, not precise change.
| 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 39 | 54 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 22% | 32% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 2 of 8 | 8 of 17 |
| Convictions with confinement | 81% | 71% |
| Median confinement | 3 months | 4 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 51% | 62% |
| General courts-martial | 23% | 13% |
New Rules Taking Effect
Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel, rather than commanders, decide whether to prosecute covered offenses such as sexual assault, domestic violence, and murder. When every guilty finding in a case is for an offense after December 27, 2023, the military judge sets the sentence within new sentencing parameters.
Both rules depend on the offense date, which these records do not give. The 2024 trials therefore include both old-rule and new-rule cases. The acquittal and sentence figures here come from the same period as those changes. The records cannot show whether the changes affected them.
Other Charges, Locations, and Limits
Only 22 of the 54 cases charged at least one other article. Article 92 (orders violation) appeared in 10 of them, Article 86 (AWOL) and Article 81 (conspiracy) in 4 each, and Article 134 (general article) and Article 120 (sexual assault) in 3 each.
San Diego, California, tried 10 of these cases. Camp Pendleton, California, and Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, tried 6 each; MCAS Miramar, California, 5; and Norfolk, Virginia, 4. Together they account for 57% of the 54. Larger installations try more cases of every kind.
Drug use handled through nonjudicial punishment, administrative separation, or no action is not in these records. The records do not describe the evidence or plea terms.
For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 112a 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 2024 that charged Article 112a (54 cases), compared with all Navy and Marine Corps cases that year and with 2023.
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 112a (Wrongful Use, Possession of Controlled Substances): Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Year (hub)
- Navy-Marine Corps Article 112a Cases in 2023 (previous / next)
- Navy-Marine Corps Article 112a Cases in 2025 (previous / next)
- Is Navy-Marine Corps Drug Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 112a, 2017–2025 (the full trend)
- Drug at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial, 2018: The Year in Numbers
- Drug at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial, 2020: The Year in Numbers
- How Navy-Marine Corps Drug Cases Ended in 2019
- How Navy-Marine Corps Drug Cases Ended in 2022
- S3 E52: What You Need to Know About Positive UAs in the Military (podcast, members)
- Article 112a explained on the law firm's website
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Compare: federal court. Federal Law Has No Crime of Drug Use: How Article 112a Cases Compare · Drug Distribution and Importation: Federal vs. Court-Martial Sentences, 2016–2025
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.