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# What the Navy-Marine Corps Tried in March 2022
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-courts-martial-march-2022/
- Published: 2026-10-28T08:14:31.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-30T08:10:21.000Z
- Description: The records show 38 Navy and Marine Corps courts-martial in March 2022. Drug and larceny charges were more common than across the year: Article 112a appeared in 30% of cases with charges listed and Article 121 (larceny) in 14%, compared with 22% and 7% for all of 2022.
- 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/) › March 2022

**Short answer:** The records show 38 Navy and Marine Corps courts-martial in March 2022\. Drug and larceny charges were more common than across the year: Article 112a appeared in 30% of cases with charges listed and Article 121 (larceny) in 14%, compared with 22% and 7% for all of 2022\. The median confinement was 4 months, compared with 6 months for the year.

Based on 38 cases · March 2022 · Navy and Marine Corps records · data updated October 24, 2026

## Drugs, Larceny, and Unlawful Entry

Charges are listed for 37 of the 38 cases, and a case charging three articles appears in three rows. Article 112a (wrongful use, possession of controlled substances) was the most common charge, in 11 cases (30%), compared with 22% for the Navy and Marine Corps in 2022.

Property offenses were also more common. Article 121 (larceny) appeared in 5 cases (14%), compared with 7%. Article 129 (burglary; unlawful entry) appeared in 4 cases (11%), compared with 4%.

Article 92 (failure to obey order or regulation), Article 134 (general article), and Article 128 (assault) appeared in 8 cases each (22%), about the same as their shares for the year. Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) appeared in 4 cases (11%), and Article 107 (false official statements) appeared in 3 (8%).

| UCMJ Article                                                                                                                                       | Cases | Share here | Share, the Navy and Marine Corps for all of 2022 |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | ---------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| [Art. 112a](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-112a-drug-offenses/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 11    | 30%        | 22%                                              |
| [Art. 92](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-92/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Failure to obey order or regulation         | 8     | 22%        | 18%                                              |
| [Art. 134](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-134/?ref=bodiesburied.com) General article                           | 8     | 22%        | 20%                                              |
| [Art. 128](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-128/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Assault                                   | 8     | 22%        | 23%                                              |
| [Art. 121](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-121/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Larceny                                   | 5     | 14%        | 7%                                               |
| Art. 129 Burglary; unlawful entry                                                                                                                  | 4     | 11%        | 4%                                               |
| [Art. 120](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-120-sexual-assault/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Rape and sexual assault                            | 4     | 11%        | 9%                                               |
| [Art. 107](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-107/?ref=bodiesburied.com) False official statements                 | 3     | 8%         | 6%                                               |

## High Conviction Rates on the Top Charges

Most cases charging the common articles ended in a conviction on that article. Every Article 92 case and every Article 134 case ended in a conviction on that article, 8 of 8 each. The median confinement was 3 months for Article 92 and 4 months for Article 134.

Article 112a cases ended in a conviction on that article in 10 of 11 cases (91%), with a median confinement of 3 months. Article 128 cases ended in a conviction on that article in 7 of 8 cases, with a median of 5 months. A case can include a conviction on one article and an acquittal on another, so these rows overlap.

| Article                                                     | Cases charging it | Convicted of it (share) | Median confinement when convicted of it |
| ----------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------- | ----------------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 11                | 10 (91%)                | 3 months                                |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation                 | 8                 | 8 (8 of 8)              | 3 months                                |
| Art. 134 General article                                    | 8                 | 8 (8 of 8)              | 4 months                                |
| Art. 128 Assault                                            | 8                 | 7 (7 of 8)              | 5 months                                |

## Most Sentences Were Short

Of the 34 convictions, 82% included confinement. The median confinement was 4 months, lower than the median of 6 months for the year. A quarter of the sentences with confinement were 11 months or longer. These are adjudged sentences, announced at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal, and each covers every charge in a case.

Sentences under 6 months made up 50% of convictions, compared with 38% for 2022\. Sentences from 6 months to 1 year made up 15%, compared with 25%. Sentences longer than one year came in 6 of 34 convictions (18%), about the same as the 20% for the year. Of those, 2 (6%) were 5 years or more.

| Adjudged confinement            | Convictions | Share here | Share, the Navy and Marine Corps for all of 2022 |
| ------------------------------- | ----------- | ---------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| No confinement                  | 6           | 18%        | 17%                                              |
| Under 6 months                  | 17          | 50%        | 38%                                              |
| 6 months to 1 year              | 5           | 15%        | 25%                                              |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 4           | 12%        | 16%                                              |
| 5 years or more                 | 2           | 6%         | 4%                                               |

## Court Levels

A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. General courts-martial made up 13 of the 38 cases (34%), compared with 42% for the year.

The 13 general courts-martial had a median confinement of 1.3 years, and 42% were contested. The 25 special courts-martial had a median confinement of 3 months, and 20% were contested.

## Pleas and Verdicts

Pleas appear in 37 of the 38 records: 27 guilty pleas and 10 contested cases. In a contested case, the accused pleaded not guilty to at least one charge. The contested share was 27%, lower than the 33% for the year.

Of the 10 contested cases that reached a verdict, 3 ended in a full acquittal (30%). 1 ended in a partial acquittal (10%), meaning not guilty of at least one charge or specification and guilty of another. The full acquittal rate was higher than the 20% for 2022.

## Punitive Discharges

A punitive discharge was part of 61% of enlisted convictions: 16 bad-conduct discharges and 4 dishonorable discharges. The share for the year was 64%. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out an administrative separation later.

## Changes Since March 2021

March 2021 had 46 cases, and March 2022 had 38\. The contested share went from 36% to 27%. Full acquittals in contested cases that reached a verdict went from 6 of 16 to 3 of 10.

The median confinement went from 7 months to 4 months, and convictions with confinement went from 92% to 82%. Punitive discharges for enlisted members went from 64% to 61%, and general courts-martial went from 43% to 34%. In groups this small, a few cases can change a percentage, so the comparisons show direction only.

|                                     | March 2021 | March 2022 |
| ----------------------------------- | ---------- | ---------- |
| Cases                               | 46         | 38         |
| Contested (of pleas recorded)       | 36%        | 27%        |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 6 of 16    | 3 of 10    |
| Convictions with confinement        | 92%        | 82%        |
| Median confinement                  | 7 months   | 4 months   |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted)       | 64%        | 61%        |
| General courts-martial              | 43%        | 34%        |

## Norfolk Tried the Most Cases

Norfolk, Virginia, tried 9 cases, more than any other location. Camp Pendleton, California, tried 4\. Quantico, Virginia, San Diego, California, and Okinawa, Japan, tried 3 each. These five account for 58% of the month. A large installation tries more cases of every kind, so a high count does not show a problem at that base.

Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 61% of the accused, and NCOs made up 39%. There were no officers. The year had about the same mix, with 65% junior enlisted.

## What the Records Do Not Show

The records show charges, pleas, findings, and sentences only. They do not include the evidence, plea terms, or misconduct handled outside a court-martial.

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 March 2022 (38 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)
- [What the Navy-Marine Corps Tried in February 2022](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-courts-martial-february-2022/) (previous / next)
- [Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial, April 2022: The Month in Review](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-courts-martial-april-2022/) (previous / next)
- [Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial in 2022: Year in Review](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-courts-martial-2022-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: [What the Navy-Marine Corps Tried in February 2022](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-courts-martial-february-2022/)Next: [Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial, April 2022: The Month in Review](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-courts-martial-april-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.