Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial With Article 112a and Article 81, 2021–2026

Trends › By Offense › Article 112a › Navy-Marine Corps, with Article 81

Based on 57 cases · 2021–2026 · Navy and Marine Corps records · data updated October 24, 2026

Longer Confinement in Drug Conspiracy Cases

Of the 57 convictions, 50 included confinement. The median confinement was 9 months, longer than the 5 months for all Navy and Marine Corps Article 112a cases in 2021–2026. A quarter of the confinement terms were 1.2 years or longer.

Confinement of more than one year was adjudged in 16 of the 57 convictions (28%). Across all Navy and Marine Corps Article 112a cases, the share was 13%. The most common band here was 6 months to 1 year, with 21 convictions (37%), compared with 24%. Terms under 6 months made up 23%, compared with 44%. Terms of 5 years or more made up 7% of convictions here, compared with 2%, and 7 convictions (12%) carried no confinement.

Few Contested Cases and No Full Acquittals

The plea is listed in 56 of the 57 records. Of those, 45 were guilty pleas and 11 were contested, meaning the accused entered a not-guilty or mixed plea. The contested share, 20%, was lower than the 30% in all Navy and Marine Corps Article 112a cases.

None of the 11 contested cases ended in a full acquittal. In all Navy and Marine Corps Article 112a cases, 30% of contested cases with a verdict ended in a full acquittal. Of the 11 contested cases here, 3 (27%) ended in a partial acquittal: not guilty of at least one charge or specification, but guilty of another.

Punitive Discharges for Most Enlisted Members

Of 55 convicted enlisted members, 46 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (84%). In all Navy and Marine Corps Article 112a cases, the rate was 63%. Of the 46 discharges, 11 were dishonorable.

The group includes 1 convicted officer or warrant officer, who was dismissed. Dismissal is the officer equivalent of a punitive discharge. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.

Sentences at Each Court Level

General courts-martial heard 23 of the 57 cases (40%). In all Navy and Marine Corps Article 112a cases, the general share was 22%. Special courts-martial heard the other 34 cases.

At the general courts-martial, 87% of convictions included confinement, and the median was 1.3 years. At the special courts-martial, 88% included confinement, and the median was 6 months. A special court-martial cannot adjudge more than one year of confinement or a dishonorable discharge. A general court-martial can adjudge any lawful sentence. Since 2019, a special court-martial can also be tried by a military judge alone, which caps confinement at six months and allows no punitive discharge.

Junior Enlisted Members Made Up Most of the Accused

By rank, the accused were 51 junior enlisted members, 4 NCOs, and 1 officer. The group is more junior than the accused in Navy and Marine Corps Article 112a cases overall. These counts cover the accused with rank recorded.

Charges Besides Drugs and Conspiracy

Every case included at least one charge besides Article 112a. Besides Article 81, the most frequent were Article 80 (attempt) in 5 cases, Article 82 (solicitation) in 5, Article 131b (obstruction) in 5, and Article 107 (false official statement) in 4.

A sentence covers all the charges in the case. The sentences here are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal.

Years and Installations

The records show cases from January 2021 through September 2026. There were 28 in 2021, 9 in 2022, 5 in 2023, 4 in 2024, 7 in 2025, and 4 in 2026. The 2026 count is a partial year.

Norfolk, Virginia tried 9 of these cases, and Camp Pendleton, California tried 8. Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay and Camp Lejeune, North Carolina tried 5 each, and San Diego, California tried 4. These five installations account for 54% of the 57 cases. Larger installations try more cases of all kinds.

Law Changes and What Is Not Recorded

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, a military judge sets the sentence under new sentencing parameters. Both rules depend on the offense date.

The records show trial dates, not offense dates. They also do not show the evidence, the plea terms, nonjudicial punishment, or administrative separations. Cases handled without a court-martial are not part of these counts.

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.