Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial, August 2022: The Month in Review
Navy and Marine Corps records list 24 courts-martial in August 2022. Drug charges under Article 112a appeared in 30% of the cases with charges listed, compared with 22% for both services across 2022. Only 22% of the cases with a recorded plea were contested, compared with 33% for the year.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Trends › By Year › August 2022
Short answer: Navy and Marine Corps records list 24 courts-martial in August 2022. Drug charges under Article 112a appeared in 30% of the cases with charges listed, compared with 22% for both services across 2022. Only 22% of the cases with a recorded plea were contested, compared with 33% for the year.
Mostly Guilty Pleas
The plea appears in 23 of the 24 records. In 18 cases, the accused pleaded guilty; in 5, the accused contested at least one charge. The contested share was 22%, lower than the 33% for the Navy and Marine Corps in 2022.
None of the contested cases that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal: 0 of 5, compared with 4 of 8 in August 2021. A contested case is one where the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge, whether to everything or in a mixed plea.
Drug Cases Were Most Common
Charges are listed for 23 cases, and one case can count under several articles. Article 112a, wrongful use or possession of controlled substances, appeared in 7 cases (30%), compared with 22% for the year. Article 128 assault was second, in 4 cases (17%), lower than the yearly 23%.
Article 81 conspiracy appeared in 3 cases (13%, compared with 5% for 2022). Other articles were also more common than in the year: Article 120b (rape and sexual assault of a child), Article 80 attempts, and Article 131b (obstructing justice) each appeared in 2 cases (9%). Article 134 and Article 92 were less common than usual, at 13% each.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the Navy and Marine Corps for all of 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 7 | 30% | 22% |
| Art. 128 Assault | 4 | 17% | 23% |
| Art. 134 General article | 3 | 13% | 20% |
| Art. 81 Conspiracy | 3 | 13% | 5% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 3 | 13% | 18% |
| Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child | 2 | 9% | 4% |
| Art. 80 Attempts | 2 | 9% | 6% |
| Art. 131b Obstructing justice | 2 | 9% | 5% |
Confinement and Its Length
There were 23 convictions, and 21 of those sentences included confinement (91%). The median was 6 months, the same as the 6 months for both services across 2022, and a quarter of the terms were 1.3 years or longer.
Long terms were more common than in the year. Terms over one year were adjudged in 6 of 23 convictions (26%), compared with 20% for the year. Of those, 5 were between 1 and 5 years (22%, compared with 16%), and 1 was 5 years or more. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal, and they cover every charge in the case.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, the Navy and Marine Corps for all of 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 2 | 9% | 17% |
| Under 6 months | 8 | 35% | 38% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 7 | 30% | 25% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 5 | 22% | 16% |
| 5 years or more | 1 | 4% | 4% |
Sentences by Court Level
Of the 24 cases, 10 were general courts-martial and 14 were special courts-martial. The general court-martial share was 42%, the same as the 42% for the year.
A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including long confinement and a dishonorable discharge. At this level, 9 of 9 convictions included confinement, and the median was 1.3 years. A special court-martial is capped at one year and cannot adjudge a dishonorable discharge. At that level, 86% of convictions included confinement, and the median was 4 months.
Discharges After Conviction
Of 21 convicted enlisted members, 15 received a punitive discharge: 11 bad-conduct and 4 dishonorable. Among the 2 convicted officers or warrant officers, 1 was dismissed.
The share was 71%, higher than the 64% for the year. A punitive discharge is a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge for enlisted members, and dismissal is the officer equivalent. A sentence without one does not rule out a later administrative separation.
One Year Earlier
August 2021 had 31 cases, and August 2022 had 24. The median confinement fell from 8 months to 6 months. Punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members went from 79% to 71%. The contested share fell from 28% to 22%, and convictions with confinement fell from 96% to 91%. The general court-martial share went from 45% to 42%.
With so few cases, 1 or 2 can change a percentage, so these comparisons show direction, not precise size.
| August 2021 | August 2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 31 | 24 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 28% | 22% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 4 of 8 | 0 of 5 |
| Convictions with confinement | 96% | 91% |
| Median confinement | 8 months | 6 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 79% | 71% |
| General courts-martial | 45% | 42% |
Rank and Location
Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 70% of the accused, NCOs made up 22%, and officers made up 9%. Across both services in 2022, junior enlisted members were 65%. This month's accused were more junior than the year.
Camp Pendleton, California, had 7 trials, and Norfolk, Virginia, had 4. Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and Jacksonville, Florida, had 3 each, and Yokosuka, Japan, had 2. Those five places account for 79% of the 24 cases. Larger installations try more cases of every kind, so a high count does not mean a base has a problem.
What the Records Do Not Cover
Trial records show charges, pleas, findings, and sentences, and only for cases that reached a court-martial. They do not show the evidence, the plea terms, the offense dates, or misconduct handled through 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 2022 (24 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 2022 at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial: 28 Cases (previous / next)
- September 2022 at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial: 26 Cases (previous / next)
- Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial in 2022: 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 2019 at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial: 34 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.