August 2019 at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial: 34 Cases
The Navy and Marine Corps tried 34 courts-martial in August 2019, according to the records. Assault under Article 128 was charged in 41% of the cases with charges listed, compared with 34% for both services across 2019.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Trends › By Year › August 2019
Short answer: The Navy and Marine Corps tried 34 courts-martial in August 2019, according to the records. Assault under Article 128 was charged in 41% of the cases with charges listed, compared with 34% for both services across 2019. The median confinement was 7 months, compared with 6 months for the year.
Assault Was the Most Common Charge
Charge lists exist for 32 of the 34 cases, and a case counts once under each article it charges. Article 128 assault appeared in 13 cases (41%, compared with 34% for the year). Article 121 larceny appeared in 5 (16%, compared with 11%). Article 120, rape and sexual assault, appeared in 4 cases (12%, compared with 14%). Article 80 attempts appeared in 3 (9%, compared with 10%). Both were about the same as the year.
Drug offenses under Article 112a were less common than usual: 7 cases, or 22%, compared with 30%. A few less common charges appeared more often than in the year as a whole: Article 89 (disrespect toward superior officer; assault of superior officer) at 9% compared with 2%, Article 121a (fraudulent use of credit cards, debit cards) at 6% compared with 1%, and Article 114 (dueling before 2019, endangerment since) at 6% compared with 3%.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the Navy and Marine Corps for all of 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 128 Assault | 13 | 41% | 34% |
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 7 | 22% | 30% |
| Art. 121 Larceny | 5 | 16% | 11% |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 4 | 12% | 14% |
| Art. 89 Disrespect toward superior officer; assault of superior officer | 3 | 9% | 2% |
| Art. 80 Attempts | 3 | 9% | 10% |
| Art. 121a Fraudulent use of credit cards, debit cards | 2 | 6% | 1% |
| Art. 114 Dueling before 2019, endangerment since | 2 | 6% | 3% |
Most Sentences Were Under One Year
There were 29 convictions, and 24 included confinement. The median confinement was 7 months, compared with 6 months for the Navy and Marine Corps in 2019.
Terms of 6 months to 1 year were the largest group: 11 convictions (38%), compared with 23% for the year. Only 5 of the 29 convictions (17%) included more than one year, lower than the yearly 24%. Of those, 4 were between 1 and 5 years, and 1 was 5 years or more. Another 5 convictions (17%) had no confinement. These are adjudged sentences, set at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, the Navy and Marine Corps for all of 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 5 | 17% | 18% |
| Under 6 months | 8 | 28% | 35% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 11 | 38% | 23% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 4 | 14% | 19% |
| 5 years or more | 1 | 3% | 5% |
Most Cases Were Special Courts-Martial
Only 11 of the 34 cases were general courts-martial (32%, compared with 43% for the year). The other 23 were special courts-martial, which are capped at one year of confinement and cannot adjudge a dishonorable discharge. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence.
At general courts-martial, the median confinement was 1.1 years, and 3 of 6 with a recorded plea were contested. At special courts-martial, the median was 6 months, and 9% were contested. All terms longer than one year this month came from general courts-martial, the only level that can adjudge more than a year.
More Guilty Pleas Than Contested Cases
The plea appears in 17 of the 34 records: 13 guilty pleas and 4 not-guilty or mixed pleas. A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. The contested share was 24%, lower than the 28% for both services in 2019.
Navy and Marine Corps records from before December 2020 often omit the plea, so these figures cover only the records that include it. Of the contested cases that reached a verdict, 2 of 4 ended in a full acquittal.
Fewer Punitive Discharges
Among 28 convicted enlisted members, 15 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (54%), compared with 60% for the year. Only 2 of those were dishonorable. The month's 1 convicted officer or warrant officer was not dismissed.
A punitive discharge means a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge for an enlisted member; the officer equivalent is a dismissal. A sentence without one does not rule out an administrative separation later.
A Year After August 2018
The number of cases fell from 49 in August 2018 to 34. The median confinement was 7 months in both months. Convictions with confinement went from 84% to 83%. The contested share fell from 36% to 24%. Punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members fell from 71% to 54%. The general court-martial share fell from 45% to 32%.
These groups are small, and a few cases can change a percentage, so the changes show direction, not precise size.
| August 2018 | August 2019 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 49 | 34 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 36% | 24% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 4 of 8 | 2 of 4 |
| Convictions with confinement | 84% | 83% |
| Median confinement | 7 months | 7 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 71% | 54% |
| General courts-martial | 45% | 32% |
Rank and Location
Among the accused with rank recorded, 20 were junior enlisted, 10 were NCOs, and 1 was an officer. That group was more junior than the Navy and Marine Corps as a whole in 2019.
Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, had the most trials (7). Camp Pendleton, California, and Bremerton, Washington, had 4 each, and San Diego, California, and Jacksonville, Florida, had 3 each. These five places account for 62% of the cases. Larger installations try more cases of every kind.
What These Records Leave Out
Trial records show charges, pleas, findings, and sentences. They give trial dates, not the dates of the alleged offenses. They do not include the evidence, the plea terms, or any conduct handled by nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation.
Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Navy and Marine Corps courts-martial with a trial date in August 2019 (34 cases), compared with the whole year.
Source: public court-martial records (Article 140a, UCMJ) in Military Trial Results, data updated October 24, 2026. Definitions, sources, and known gaps: how this data was built. Errors: content@bodiesburied.com.
Related Analysis
- Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial: Data and Trends (hub)
- By Year (hub)
- July 2019 at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial: 33 Cases (previous / next)
- What the Navy-Marine Corps Tried in September 2019 (previous / next)
- Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial in 2019: Year in Review (the whole year)
- April 2018 at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial: 43 Cases
- April 2020 at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial: 18 Cases
- August 2017 at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial: 37 Cases
- August 2024 at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial: 49 Cases
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
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.