Navy-Marine Corps Article 112a Cases in 2025

Trends › By Offense › Article 112a › Navy-Marine Corps, 2025

Based on 35 cases · 2025 · Navy and Marine Corps records · data updated October 24, 2026

Fewer Punitive Discharges

Of 28 convicted enlisted members, 12 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (43%). That was about the same as the 46% for all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2025. It was lower than the 62% for drug cases in 2024. Of the 12 discharges, 3 were dishonorable.

A punitive discharge is a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge imposed as part of the sentence. A sentence without one does not rule out a later administrative separation, which these records do not track.

Acquittals in Contested Cases

A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. Of 14 contested cases that reached a verdict, 5 ended in a full acquittal (36%). Another 1 ended in a partial acquittal: not guilty of some charges and guilty of others.

The full-acquittal rate for all Navy and Marine Corps cases was 27%. For drug cases in 2024, the count was 8 of 17. With numbers this small, a single verdict changes the rate noticeably.

Nearly Every Record Lists a Plea

A plea is listed in 34 of the 35 cases: 20 guilty pleas and 14 contested cases. The 41% contested share was slightly higher than the 37% for all Navy and Marine Corps cases. It was higher than the 32% for drug cases in 2024.

Confinement Terms Were Short

In 29 cases, the accused was convicted of at least one charge, and 22 of those sentences included confinement (76%). The median confinement was 3 months, close to the 4-month median for all Navy and Marine Corps cases. A quarter of the terms were 4 months or longer.

These are adjudged sentences, set at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each covers every charge in the case, including conspiracy and orders violations charged with drug use or possession.

In 2025, when a drug conviction included confinement, the term was usually a few months. The records do not show which drug was involved or how the case was discovered.

Most Sentences Were Under 6 Months

Confinement under 6 months was adjudged in 17 convictions (59%), compared with 37% across the Navy and Marine Corps. Another 7 (24%) included no confinement, lower than the 31% for the service. Another 2 (7%) carried 6 months to 1 year.

Only 3 of 29 convictions (10%) included more than one year, compared with 16% for the service. Of those, 2 were between 1 and 5 years and 1 was 5 years or more. Confinement of more than one year is available only at a general court-martial.

Results by Court Level

These cases included 11 general courts-martial and 24 special courts-martial. The general court-martial share of 31% compares with 36% across the Navy and Marine Corps. It was 13% in 2024.

At general courts-martial, 73% of convictions included confinement, with a median of 4 months. At special courts-martial, 78% did, with a median of 3 months. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence.

Who Was Charged and With What

Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 64% of the accused and NCOs 36%. Across all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2025, junior enlisted members were 62%.

Article 112a was the only charge in 18 of 35 cases. The most common other charges were Article 92 (orders violation) and Article 81 (conspiracy) in 7 each, and Article 86 (AWOL), Article 107 (false official statement), and Article 134 (general article) in 2 each.

Compared With 2024

The number of cases and the share with a punitive discharge both went down. Median confinement went from 4 months to 3 months. Convictions that included confinement went from 71% to 76%. The general court-martial share went from 13% to 31%.

These are small groups, and a few cases can change any figure. The changes show direction, not precise size.

Installations, New Rules, and Limits

San Diego, California, tried 7 of these cases. Quantico, Virginia, tried 6; Camp Pendleton, California, 4; and Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and Norfolk, Virginia, 2 each. Together they account for 60% of the 35 cases. Larger installations try more cases of every kind.

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. The records give trial dates, not offense dates, so 2025 trials may include both old-rule and new-rule cases. The records also do not show the evidence, the plea terms, or drug cases handled through nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation.

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.

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.