Navy-Marine Corps Article 120 Cases in 2020

Trends › By Offense › Article 120 › Navy-Marine Corps, 2020

Based on 59 cases · 2020 · Navy and Marine Corps records · data updated October 24, 2026

Most Contested Cases Ended in a Full Acquittal

Of 20 contested cases that reached a verdict, 13 ended in a full acquittal (not guilty of every charge). That 65% rate was much higher than the 34% for all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2020.

No decided contested case ended in a partial acquittal, where the accused is found not guilty of at least one charge or specification but guilty of another. Each contested case ended either in a full acquittal or in a conviction.

For contested cases this year, full acquittals were more common than convictions. The number of decided cases is small, so a few different verdicts would change these figures.

Many Records Do Not List a Plea

Only 28 of the 59 records list a plea. Of those, 8 accused pleaded guilty and 20 contested at least one charge. That is a contested share of 71%, compared with 30% in all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2020.

Navy and Marine Corps records before December 2020 often omit the plea, and almost all of this year is before that date. The shares here use only the records that list a plea.

A Median Confinement of 2 Years

Confinement was part of 91% of the 45 convictions. Half of those terms were 2 years or less, and a quarter were 6 years or longer. The median across all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2020 was 6 months.

These are adjudged sentences: the punishment imposed at trial, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. They cover every charge in a case, not only the Article 120 charge.

Most Convictions Included More Than 1 Year

Of the 45 convictions, 33 (73%) included more than one year of confinement, compared with 26% for the service. Of those, 20 (44%) were between 1 and 5 years and 13 (29%) were 5 years or more, compared with 6% across the Navy and Marine Corps.

At the low end, 4 convictions (9%) included no confinement, 3 included under 6 months, and 5 included 6 months to 1 year. Only a general court-martial can adjudge more than a year of confinement.

Punitive Discharges

Of 43 convicted enlisted members, 39 received a punitive discharge (91%): 30 dishonorable discharges and 9 bad-conduct discharges. Across all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2020, the share was 62%.

The records list 1 convicted officer or warrant officer, who was sentenced to dismissal. For officers, a dismissal is the equivalent of a punitive discharge. A sentence without either does not rule out a later administrative separation.

Court Level and Rank

General courts-martial handled 54 of the 59 cases (92%). Special courts-martial handled the rest. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including long confinement and a dishonorable discharge. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year.

Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 59% of the accused, NCOs 36%, and officers 5%. Across all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2020, junior enlisted members were 64%.

Rarely Charged Alone

Of the 59 cases, 56 included at least one article besides Article 120. The most common other charges were Article 128 (assault) in 47, Article 120b (child sexual abuse) in 20, Article 134 (general article) in 11, Article 80 (attempt) in 11, and Article 92 (orders violation) in 5.

A sentence covers every charge in the case. The confinement figures above therefore include the assault and child sexual abuse charges. The records do not divide a sentence by charge.

Compared With 2019

The number of cases was almost the same: 60 in 2019 and 59 in 2020. The contested share went from 83% to 71%. Full acquittals in decided contested cases went from 21 of 35 to 13 of 20. Median confinement went from 3 years to 2 years.

Punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members went from 87% to 91%. The general court-martial share went from 95% to 92%. A few cases can change these percentages, so they show direction more than exact size.

Installations and What the Records Do Not Show

Camp Pendleton, California, and Jacksonville, Florida, each tried 7 of these cases. Okinawa, Japan, tried 6, and San Diego, California, and Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, tried 5 each. Together they account for 51% of the 59 cases. Larger installations try more cases of every kind.

The records do not show offense dates, the evidence presented, or any plea terms. They do not include conduct handled through nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation.

For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 120 on the law firm's website. Dates and sources for the law changes: UCMJ change timeline.

Compare: federal court. Sexual Abuse of an Adult: Federal Cases vs. Article 120 Courts-Martial

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.