What Sentence Follows a Navy-Marine Corps Disobeying an Officer Conviction?

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Based on 107 cases · 2017–2025 · Navy and Marine Corps records · data updated October 24, 2026

More Cases Were Contested

Every case on this page ended in a conviction that included Article 90, the article covering willful disobedience of a superior commissioned officer. More of these cases were contested before the conviction than in the service overall.

Of the 107 records, 77 list a plea: 26 were not-guilty or mixed pleas and 51 were guilty pleas. The contested share was 34%. Across all Navy and Marine Corps convictions in those years, it was 24%. A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. Navy and Marine Corps records before December 2020 often omit the plea, so these counts use only the records that list one.

In 12 of the 26 contested cases, the result was a partial acquittal: not guilty of at least one charge or specification, and guilty of another. This page covers convictions only, so no full acquittals appear.

Usually Charged With Other Offenses

Of the 107 cases, 98 charged at least one other article. The most common other charges were Article 92 (orders violation) in 35 cases, Article 128 (assault) in 31, Article 128b (domestic violence, numbered since 2019) in 23, Article 134 (the general article) in 18, and Article 112a (drug offenses) in 16.

A court-martial sentence covers every charge in the case. The figures below describe all of the convictions in each case, not the disobedience charge by itself.

Confinement Terms

Of the 107 convictions, 82 included confinement. The median confinement was 7 months, close to the 6 months for all Navy and Marine Corps convictions. A quarter of the sentences were 1 year or longer.

In 23% of these convictions the sentence had no confinement, compared with 18% overall. Sentences longer than 1 year were less common here: 20 of 107 convictions (19%), compared with 25%. Terms of 5 years or more were 2%, compared with 7% across the service. Terms from 6 months to 1 year were slightly more common here: 25% compared with 22%.

These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal.

Sentences by Court Level

Of the cases, 43 were general courts-martial and 64 were special courts-martial. The general court-martial share was 40%, compared with 41% in all Navy and Marine Corps convictions. At general courts-martial, 86% of convictions included confinement, and the median was 1.1 years. At special courts-martial, 70% did, and the median was 3 months.

A special court-martial can impose no more than 1 year of confinement and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. Only a general court-martial can impose more than 1 year of confinement.

Punitive Discharges Were Slightly Less Common

Of 99 convicted enlisted members, 57 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (58%). Across all Navy and Marine Corps convictions, the figure was 62%. 7 of the discharges were dishonorable.

The records list 5 convicted officers or warrant officers, and none was dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.

Who Was Convicted

Article 90 applies to disobeying a superior commissioned officer. Every case here involved an order from an officer, whatever the rank of the accused.

The accused included 73 junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4), 26 NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 5 officers or warrant officers. The accused were more junior than in all Navy and Marine Corps convictions, where 65% were junior enlisted members.

Timing and Installations

The data holds 107 cases from January 2017 to December 2025. There were 13 cases in 2017, 6 in 2018, 7 in 2019, 13 in 2020, 18 in 2021, 15 in 2022, 5 in 2023, 14 in 2024, and 16 in 2025.

Camp Pendleton, California had the most cases (30). Camp Lejeune, North Carolina had 22, Norfolk, Virginia 11, San Diego, California 7, and MCAS Miramar, California 6. Together these locations account for 71% of the 107. Larger installations try more cases of every kind.

Law Changes During These Years

The Military Justice Act of 2016 took effect on January 1, 2019. It set fixed panel sizes, created judge-alone special courts-martial limited to 6 months of confinement with no punitive discharge, and introduced written plea agreements. Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel decide whether to prosecute covered offenses such as sexual assault, domestic violence, and murder. For offenses after December 27, 2023, the military judge sets the sentence within new sentencing parameters. Both changes depend on offense dates, which the records lack.

What the Records Omit

The records do not describe the order that was disobeyed, the evidence, or the plea terms. Navy and Marine Corps records before December 2020 often omit the plea. Cases handled outside a court-martial are not included.

For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 90 on the law firm's website. Dates and sources for the law changes: UCMJ change timeline.

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.