> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.bodiesburied.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # How Navy-Marine Corps General Article Cases Ended in 2021 - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-134-2021/ - Published: 2026-10-28T08:16:21.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-30T05:23:18.000Z - Description: Navy and Marine Corps courts-martial charging Article 134 (general article) rose to 110 in 2021, from 48 in 2020. Only 4 of 36 contested cases that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal (11%), compared with 26% across all Navy and Marine Corps cases. - Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart - Tags: Understanding Trends, Article 134, Navy-Marine Corps [Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [By Offense](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-offense/) › [Article 134](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-134-courts-martial/) › Navy-Marine Corps, 2021 **Short answer:** Navy and Marine Corps courts-martial charging Article 134 (general article) rose to 110 in 2021, from 48 in 2020\. Only 4 of 36 contested cases that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal (11%), compared with 26% across all Navy and Marine Corps cases. The median confinement was 1.2 years, compared with 7 months service-wide. Based on 110 cases · 2021 · Navy and Marine Corps records · data updated October 24, 2026 ## Cases Increased From 2020 The records show 110 Article 134 cases tried between January and December 2021, up from 48 the year before. The contested share rose from 21% to 33%. Median confinement fell from 1.6 years to 1.2 years. Punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members fell from 87% to 69%. The general court-martial share was 73% in both years. Convictions with confinement fell slightly, from 94% to 92%. In smaller groups, a few cases can change these figures. The changes show direction, not precision. | | 2020 | 2021 | | ----------------------------------- | --------- | --------- | | Cases | 48 | 110 | | Contested (of pleas recorded) | 21% | 33% | | Full acquittals (decided contested) | 0 of 3 | 4 of 36 | | Convictions with confinement | 94% | 92% | | Median confinement | 1.6 years | 1.2 years | | Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 87% | 69% | | General courts-martial | 73% | 73% | ## Few Contested Cases Ended in a Full Acquittal A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge, with a not-guilty or mixed plea. Every 2021 record lists the plea. Of the 110 accused, 74 pleaded guilty and 36 contested. The contested share was 33%, about the same as the 32% across the service. Of the 36 contested cases that reached a verdict, 4 ended in a full acquittal. That is an 11% full-acquittal rate, compared with 26% for all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2021\. Another 8 were partial acquittals: the accused was found not guilty of at least one charge but guilty of another. ## Confinement Of 106 convictions, 97 included confinement. The median confinement was 1.2 years, longer than the 7-month median for all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2021\. A quarter of the sentences were 2.5 years or longer. Confinement longer than one year was imposed in 54 of 106 convictions (51%), compared with 26% service-wide. Sentences between 1 and 5 years made up 45 convictions (42%), compared with 21%. Another 9 convictions (8%) had sentences of 5 years or more. Sentences under 6 months made up 20 convictions (19%), compared with 33% service-wide. Sentences from 6 months to 1 year made up 23 (22%), compared with 26%. No confinement was imposed in 9 convictions (8%), compared with 15%. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each sentence covers every charge in the case. | Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2021 | | ------------------------------- | ----------- | ---------- | ---------------------------------------------- | | No confinement | 9 | 8% | 15% | | Under 6 months | 20 | 19% | 33% | | 6 months to 1 year | 23 | 22% | 26% | | More than 1 year, under 5 years | 45 | 42% | 21% | | 5 years or more | 9 | 8% | 5% | ## Sentences by Court Level Of the 110 cases, 80 were general courts-martial and 30 were special courts-martial. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including long confinement and a dishonorable discharge. A special court-martial is limited to one year of confinement and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. At general courts-martial, the median confinement was 1.8 years, and 35% of cases were contested. At special courts-martial, the median was 5 months, and 27% of cases were contested. ## Punitive Discharges Of 97 convicted enlisted members, 67 received a punitive discharge: 34 bad-conduct discharges and 33 dishonorable discharges. That is 69%, compared with 64% for all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2021. All 5 convicted officers or warrant officers were dismissed. A dismissal is the officer equivalent of a punitive discharge. For enlisted members without a punitive discharge, a later administrative separation is still possible. ## Other Charges in These Cases Article 134 was the only charge in 25 of 110 cases. Most cases also charged other articles: Article 128 (assault) in 22, Article 92 (orders violation) and Article 80 (attempt) in 19 each, Article 120b (child sexual abuse) in 15, and Article 107 (false official statement) in 12. The records do not show which Article 134 offense each case involved. ## Rank of the Accused Among the accused with a recorded rank, 70 were junior enlisted members, 30 were NCOs, and 6 were officers. That group was more senior than all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2021\. Junior enlisted members were the largest group. NCOs and officers made up a larger share here than in the service as a whole. ## Installations With the Most Cases Camp Lejeune, North Carolina tried 20 cases. Camp Pendleton, California tried 15, Mayport, Florida 14, Norfolk, Virginia 11, and San Diego, California 8\. Together they account for 62% of the 110 cases. Larger installations try more cases of every kind, so a high count alone does not mean a base has a problem with this offense. ## What the Records Do Not Show Only cases tried by court-martial are counted. Nonjudicial punishment, administrative separation, and allegations with no action are not included. The records do not describe the evidence or the plea terms. For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see [Article 134 on the law firm's website](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-134/?ref=bodiesburied.com). Dates and sources for the law changes: [UCMJ change timeline](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/ucmj-change-timeline/). ### How We Counted Navy and Marine Corps courts-martial with a trial date in 2021 that charged Article 134 (110 cases), compared with all Navy and Marine Corps cases that year and with 2020. Source: public court-martial records (Article 140a, UCMJ) in [Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/), data updated October 24, 2026\. Definitions, sources, and known gaps: [how this data was built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/how-the-military-trial-results-data-was-built/). Errors: content@bodiesburied.com. ## Related Analysis - [Article 134 (General Article): Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-134-courts-martial/) (hub) - [By Year](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-year/) (hub) - [Navy-Marine Corps Article 134 Cases in 2020](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-134-2020/) (previous / next) - [General Article at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial, 2022: The Year in Numbers](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-134-2022/) (previous / next) - [Is Navy-Marine Corps General Article Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 134, 2017–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-134-trend-2017-2025/) (the full trend) - [General Article at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial, 2017: The Year in Numbers](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-134-2017/) - [General Article at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial, 2018: The Year in Numbers](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-134-2018/) - [General Article at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial, 2023: The Year in Numbers](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-134-2023/) - [What Sentence Follows a Navy-Marine Corps General Article Conviction?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-134-sent-2017-2025/) - [Article 134 explained on the law firm's website](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-134/?ref=bodiesburied.com) - [Search every case in Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/) (members) ← Previous: [Navy-Marine Corps Article 134 Cases in 2020](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-134-2020/)Next: [General Article at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial, 2022: The Year in Numbers](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-134-2022/) → **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](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/?ref=bodiesburied.com). This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.