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# Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial, February 2021: The Month in Review
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-courts-martial-february-2021/
- Published: 2026-10-28T08:14:17.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-30T08:10:07.000Z
- Description: Navy and Marine Corps records show 31 courts-martial in February 2021. When confinement was adjudged, the median was 11 months, compared with 7 months for both services across 2021.
- Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart
- Tags: Understanding Trends, Navy-Marine Corps

[Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [By Year](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-year/) › February 2021

**Short answer:** Navy and Marine Corps records show 31 courts-martial in February 2021\. When confinement was adjudged, the median was 11 months, compared with 7 months for both services across 2021\. Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) appeared in 27% of cases with charges listed, compared with 19% for the year.

Based on 31 cases · February 2021 · Navy and Marine Corps records · data updated October 24, 2026

## Fewer Confinement Sentences, but Longer Ones

Of 27 convictions in February 2021, only 20 included confinement (74%). Another 7 convictions (26%) included no confinement, compared with 15% for the Navy and Marine Corps in 2021.

When confinement was adjudged, terms were longer than in the year. The median was 11 months, compared with 7 months for the year. Sentences longer than one year were adjudged in 8 of 27 convictions (30%), compared with 26% across 2021\. Of those, 2 were 5 years or more.

These are adjudged sentences, imposed at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal, and each covers every charge of conviction in the case.

| Adjudged confinement            | Convictions | Share here | Share, the Navy and Marine Corps for all of 2021 |
| ------------------------------- | ----------- | ---------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| No confinement                  | 7           | 26%        | 15%                                              |
| Under 6 months                  | 6           | 22%        | 33%                                              |
| 6 months to 1 year              | 6           | 22%        | 26%                                              |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 6           | 22%        | 21%                                              |
| 5 years or more                 | 2           | 7%         | 5%                                               |

## More Sexual Assault and Larceny Charges

Charges are listed for 30 of the 31 cases, and each article counts once per case. Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) appeared in 8 cases (27%), compared with 19% for the year. Article 121 (larceny) appeared in 17%, compared with 9%.

Article 128 (assault) was the most common charge, at 30%, about the same as its 32% yearly share. Article 112a (wrongful use or possession of controlled substances) appeared in 23%, compared with 25%.

Some articles appeared less often than usual. Article 134 (the general article) appeared in 20% of cases, compared with 26%. Article 92 (failure to obey an order or regulation) appeared in 17%, compared with 21%. Article 81 (conspiracy) and Article 131b (obstructing justice) each appeared in 13%.

| UCMJ Article                                                                                                                                       | Cases | Share here | Share, the Navy and Marine Corps for all of 2021 |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | ---------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| [Art. 128](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-128/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Assault                                   | 9     | 30%        | 32%                                              |
| [Art. 120](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-120-sexual-assault/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Rape and sexual assault                            | 8     | 27%        | 19%                                              |
| [Art. 112a](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-112a-drug-offenses/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 7     | 23%        | 25%                                              |
| [Art. 134](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-134/?ref=bodiesburied.com) General article                           | 6     | 20%        | 26%                                              |
| [Art. 121](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-121/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Larceny                                   | 5     | 17%        | 9%                                               |
| [Art. 92](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-92/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Failure to obey order or regulation         | 5     | 17%        | 21%                                              |
| Art. 81 Conspiracy                                                                                                                                 | 4     | 13%        | 11%                                              |
| Art. 131b Obstructing justice                                                                                                                      | 4     | 13%        | 7%                                               |

## Results on the Leading Charges

Of 9 cases charging assault, 7 ended in a conviction on Article 128, and the median confinement was 8 months. Of 8 cases charging Article 120, 6 ended in a conviction on that article, and the median confinement was 1.9 years.

Because one case can produce a conviction on one article and an acquittal on another, these rows overlap and do not add up to case totals.

| Article                          | Cases charging it | Convicted of it (share) | Median confinement when convicted of it |
| -------------------------------- | ----------------- | ----------------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| Art. 128 Assault                 | 9                 | 7 (7 of 9)              | 8 months                                |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 8                 | 6 (6 of 8)              | 1.9 years                               |

## More Records List the Plea

Unlike earlier months, 30 of the 31 records list a plea. Among them, 22 accused pleaded guilty and 8 entered not-guilty or mixed pleas, which makes them contested cases.

The contested share was 27%, lower than the 32% for the Navy and Marine Corps in 2021\. Of the 8 contested cases that reached a verdict, 3 ended in a full acquittal.

A guilty plea usually means the case goes straight to sentencing, while a contested case requires the government to prove the disputed charges at trial. Because more records list the plea from this point on, plea comparisons between months are more reliable than in earlier years.

## Punitive Discharges

Among 27 convicted enlisted members, 15 received a punitive discharge: 9 bad-conduct and 6 dishonorable. The share was 56%, lower than the 64% for the year.

A punitive discharge is a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge. A sentence without one does not rule out a later administrative separation.

## Sentences by Court Level

The month had 14 general courts-martial (45%), compared with 48% for 2021, and 17 special courts-martial. At general courts-martial, the median confinement was 1.8 years, and 36% of cases were contested.

A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including long confinement and a dishonorable discharge, and only that level can adjudge more than one year of confinement. Every sentence above one year in this month came from a general court-martial.

A special court-martial is capped at one year of confinement and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. At special courts-martial, the median was 3 months, and 19% of cases were contested.

## Compared With February 2020

February 2020 had 33 cases, and February 2021 had 31\. The contested share fell from 54% to 27%. The median confinement rose from 6 months to 11 months.

Convictions with confinement fell from 90% to 74%. Punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members fell from 62% to 56%. The general court-martial share was 45% in both months. In small groups, a few cases can change a percentage, so these changes show direction only.

|                                     | February 2020 | February 2021 |
| ----------------------------------- | ------------- | ------------- |
| Cases                               | 33            | 31            |
| Contested (of pleas recorded)       | 54%           | 27%           |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 2 of 7        | 3 of 8        |
| Convictions with confinement        | 90%           | 74%           |
| Median confinement                  | 6 months      | 11 months     |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted)       | 62%           | 56%           |
| General courts-martial              | 45%           | 45%           |

## Rank and Location

Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) accounted for 57% of the accused, NCOs for 43%, and officers for 0%. Across 2021, junior enlisted made up 69%, so this month's accused were more senior than usual.

Norfolk, Virginia, and Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, had 5 cases each. Camp Pendleton, California, had 4\. Bremerton, Washington, had 3, and Washington, D.C., had 2\. These five places account for 61% of the cases. Larger installations try more cases of every kind.

## Beyond the Trial Record

The records give trial dates but not offense dates. They do not describe the evidence or plea terms. They do not include cases handled by nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation.

Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: [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 February 2021 (31 cases), compared with the whole year.

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

- [Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial: Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-courts-martial/) (hub)
- [By Year](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-year/) (hub)
- [Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial, January 2021: The Month in Review](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-courts-martial-january-2021/) (previous / next)
- [March 2021 at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial: 46 Cases](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-courts-martial-march-2021/) (previous / next)
- [How 2021 Went at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-courts-martial-2021-year-in-review/) (the whole year)
- [April 2018 at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial: 43 Cases](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-courts-martial-april-2018/)
- [April 2020 at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial: 18 Cases](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-courts-martial-april-2020/)
- [August 2017 at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial: 37 Cases](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-courts-martial-august-2017/)
- [August 2019 at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial: 34 Cases](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-courts-martial-august-2019/)
- [Search every case in Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/) (members)

← Previous: [Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial, January 2021: The Month in Review](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-courts-martial-january-2021/)Next: [March 2021 at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial: 46 Cases](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-courts-martial-march-2021/) →

**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.