Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial, May 2023: The Month in Review
The records show 31 Navy and Marine Corps courts-martial in May 2023. The median confinement was 1 year, compared with 6 months for all of 2023. A punitive discharge was part of the sentence for 82% of convicted enlisted members, compared with 63% across the year.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Short answer: The records show 31 Navy and Marine Corps courts-martial in May 2023. The median confinement was 1 year, compared with 6 months for all of 2023. A punitive discharge was part of the sentence for 82% of convicted enlisted members, compared with 63% across the year.
A Median Sentence of 1 Year
Of the 31 cases, 25 ended in a conviction on at least one charge. Of those 25 sentences, 23 included confinement (92%). The median confinement was 1 year, compared with 6 months across the Navy and Marine Corps in 2023. A quarter of the sentences with confinement this month were 2 years or longer.
All of these are adjudged sentences. Each is the sentence announced at trial for every charge in the case, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal.
Few Convictions Without Confinement
Only 2 convictions had no confinement (8%), compared with 21% of convictions across 2023. Sentences longer than one year came in 9 of 25 convictions (36%), compared with 23% for the year. All 9 were more than 1 year and under 5 years. That group made up 19% of convictions for the year.
Sentences under 6 months made up 28% of convictions, compared with 33%. Sentences from 6 months to 1 year also made up 28%, compared with 23%.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, the Navy and Marine Corps for all of 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 2 | 8% | 21% |
| Under 6 months | 7 | 28% | 33% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 7 | 28% | 23% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 9 | 36% | 19% |
| 5 years or more | 0 | 0% | 4% |
Most Cases Were General Courts-Martial
A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including long confinement and a dishonorable discharge. General courts-martial made up 68% of the month (21 of 31). Special courts-martial, which are capped at one year of confinement and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge, made up the rest.
At the general courts-martial, 100% of convictions included confinement, with a median of 1.1 years. At the 10 special courts-martial, 6 of 8 convictions included confinement, with a median of 57 days. Only a general court-martial can impose more than one year of confinement.
Punitive Discharges for Most Enlisted Members
Of 22 convicted enlisted members, 18 received a punitive discharge: 12 bad-conduct discharges and 6 dishonorable discharges. That 82% compares with 63% for the Navy and Marine Corps in 2023. The month also had 1 convicted officer or warrant officer, who was dismissed.
A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out an administrative separation later. Administrative separations are not in these records.
Assault and Sexual Assault Were Charged More Often
Charges are listed for 29 of the 31 cases, and a case charging several articles is counted under each one. Article 128 (assault) was the most common charge, in 10 cases (34%), compared with 26% for the year. Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) appeared in 5 cases (17%), compared with 11%. Article 128b (domestic violence) and Article 121 (larceny) appeared in 14% of cases each, compared with 10% each for 2023.
Drug charges were less common. Article 112a appeared in only 2 cases (7%), compared with 13% for the year. Article 92 (failure to obey order or regulation) appeared in 3 cases (10%), compared with 18%. Article 134, the general article, appeared in 21% of cases, about the same as its 22%.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the Navy and Marine Corps for all of 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 128 Assault | 10 | 34% | 26% |
| Art. 134 General article | 6 | 21% | 22% |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 5 | 17% | 11% |
| Art. 128b Domestic violence | 4 | 14% | 10% |
| Art. 121 Larceny | 4 | 14% | 10% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 3 | 10% | 18% |
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 2 | 7% | 13% |
| Art. 85 Desertion | 2 | 7% | 4% |
Pleas and Verdicts
Of the 29 records listing a plea, 19 were guilty pleas and 10 were contested. In a contested case, the accused pleaded not guilty to at least one charge. The contested share was 34%, about the same as the 32% for all of 2023. Of the contested cases that reached a verdict, 3 of 9 ended in a full acquittal.
From May 2022 to May 2023
The number of cases went from 40 to 31. The median confinement went from 9 months to 1 year. Punitive discharges for enlisted members went from 66% to 82%. Convictions with confinement went from 86% to 92%, and general courts-martial went from 55% to 68% of cases.
The contested share went from 42% to 34%. Full acquittals in contested cases that reached a verdict went from 3 of 16 to 3 of 9. Groups this small can change with a few cases, so these comparisons show direction more than size.
| May 2022 | May 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 40 | 31 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 42% | 34% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 3 of 16 | 3 of 9 |
| Convictions with confinement | 86% | 92% |
| Median confinement | 9 months | 1 year |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 66% | 82% |
| General courts-martial | 55% | 68% |
Rank and Location
Among the accused with rank recorded, 18 were junior enlisted, 8 were NCOs, and 1 was an officer. That mix was similar to the year as a whole.
Norfolk, Virginia, tried 5 cases. San Diego, California, Camp Pendleton, California, and Okinawa, Japan, tried 3 each, and Parris Island, South Carolina, tried 2. These locations account for 52% of the 31 cases. Larger installations try more cases of every kind.
What the Records Do Not Show
The records give trial dates only, so they do not show when the conduct happened. Nonjudicial punishment and administrative separations are not included. The records do not describe the evidence or the terms of a plea agreement.
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 May 2023 (31 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)
- What the Navy-Marine Corps Tried in April 2023 (previous / next)
- June 2023 at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial: 27 Cases (previous / next)
- Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial in 2023: 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.