Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial, November 2017: The Month in Review
The records show 46 Navy and Marine Corps courts-martial in November 2017. Drug charges under Article 112a appeared in 40% of them, compared with 31% for all of 2017. Contested cases were also more common: 35% of cases with a recorded plea, compared with 26% for the year.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Trends › By Year › November 2017
Short answer: The records show 46 Navy and Marine Corps courts-martial in November 2017. Drug charges under Article 112a appeared in 40% of them, compared with 31% for all of 2017. Contested cases were also more common: 35% of cases with a recorded plea, compared with 26% for the year.
Drug Charges Were the Most Common
Charges are listed for 45 of the 46 cases, and a case with several articles is counted under each one. Article 112a (wrongful use, possession of controlled substances) appeared in 18 cases (40%), the largest group, compared with 31% for the year. Article 92 (failure to obey order or regulation) appeared in 10 cases (22%), compared with 16%.
Article 128 (assault) appeared in 36% of cases, about the same as its 37% for the year. Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) appeared in 22%, compared with 19%. Article 81 (conspiracy) appeared in 13%, compared with 8%. Article 134 (general article) was less common, 9% compared with 13%.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the Navy and Marine Corps for all of 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 18 | 40% | 31% |
| Art. 128 Assault | 16 | 36% | 37% |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 10 | 22% | 19% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 10 | 22% | 16% |
| Art. 107 False official statements | 6 | 13% | 11% |
| Art. 81 Conspiracy | 6 | 13% | 8% |
| Art. 121 Larceny | 4 | 9% | 9% |
| Art. 134 General article | 4 | 9% | 13% |
Sexual Assault Charges Ended in Conviction Less Often
Drug cases ended in a conviction on Article 112a in 17 of 18 cases (94%), with a median confinement of 7 months. Article 92 cases ended in a conviction on that article in 9 of 10 cases (90%). Article 128 cases ended in a conviction on that article in 14 of 16 cases (88%).
Article 120 had the lowest rate. Of 10 cases charging it, 7 ended in a conviction on that article (70%), and those convictions had a median confinement of 1.7 years. A case can include an acquittal on one charge and a conviction on another, so the rows overlap.
| Article | Cases charging it | Convicted of it (share) | Median confinement when convicted of it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 18 | 17 (94%) | 7 months |
| Art. 128 Assault | 16 | 14 (88%) | 6 months |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 10 | 7 (70%) | 1.7 years |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 10 | 9 (90%) | 9 months |
More Contested Cases
Only 23 of the 46 records list a plea, because Navy and Marine Corps records before December 2020 often omit it. Of those 23, 15 accused pleaded guilty and 8 contested with a not-guilty or mixed plea. The contested share of 35% was higher than the 26% for 2017.
The comparison table shows that 5 of the 8 contested cases that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal.
More General Courts-Martial Than the Year
General courts-martial made up 59% of the month (27 cases), compared with 44% for the year. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including long confinement and a dishonorable discharge. A special court-martial is limited to one year of confinement and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.
The median confinement was 1.5 years at the general courts-martial and 3 months at the 19 special courts-martial. The general courts-martial were also contested more often, 42% compared with 27%.
More Sentences Over 1 Year
Of 40 convictions, 37 included confinement. The median confinement was 8 months, the same as for the Navy and Marine Corps across 2017. A quarter of the sentences with confinement were 1.7 years or longer. These are adjudged sentences, set at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal, and they cover every charge in the case.
Sentences longer than one year came in 15 of 40 convictions (38%), more often than the 31% for the year. Sentences of more than 1 year and under 5 years made up 30% of convictions, compared with 20%. 3 convictions were 5 years or more.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, the Navy and Marine Corps for all of 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 3 | 8% | 10% |
| Under 6 months | 15 | 38% | 37% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 7 | 18% | 23% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 12 | 30% | 20% |
| 5 years or more | 3 | 8% | 10% |
Punitive Discharges for 25 Enlisted Members
Of 39 convicted enlisted members, 25 received a punitive discharge: 15 bad-conduct discharges and 10 dishonorable discharges. The comparison table shows that share as 64%, compared with 68% for the year. The 1 convicted officer or warrant officer was not dismissed.
A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out an administrative separation later.
Compared With November 2016
November 2016 had 21 cases, and November 2017 had 46. Most other measures were about the same. The contested share went from 33% to 35%, and the median confinement went from 9 months to 8 months. Punitive discharges went from 60% to 64%, and general courts-martial went from 57% to 59%. Full acquittals in contested cases that reached a verdict went from 4 of 7 to 5 of 8.
Small groups can change with a few cases, so these comparisons show direction rather than precise change.
| November 2016 | November 2017 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 21 | 46 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 33% | 35% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 4 of 7 | 5 of 8 |
| Convictions with confinement | 94% | 92% |
| Median confinement | 9 months | 8 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 60% | 64% |
| General courts-martial | 57% | 59% |
Rank, Location, and the Law at the Time
Among the accused with rank recorded, 30 were junior enlisted (E-1 to E-4), 14 were NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 1 was an officer or warrant officer. That mix was similar to the year, when 66% were junior enlisted. Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, tried 7 cases. San Diego, California, and Bremerton, Washington, tried 5 each. Camp Pendleton, California, tried 4, and Norfolk, Virginia, tried 3. These locations account for 52% of the cases.
These trials came before the Military Justice Act of 2016 took effect on January 1, 2019. Later changes, such as fixed panel sizes, judge-alone special courts-martial, and written plea agreements, did not apply to these cases.
Beyond the Court-Martial Records
The data cover only cases that reached a court-martial. Nonjudicial punishment, administrative separations, offense dates, the evidence, and plea terms are not included.
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 November 2017 (46 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)
- Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial, October 2017: The Month in Review (previous / next)
- What the Navy-Marine Corps Tried in December 2017 (previous / next)
- The Navy-Marine Corps Court-Martial Year, 2017 (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.