What the Navy-Marine Corps Tried in November 2021
The records show 31 Navy and Marine Corps courts-martial in November 2021. Article 92 (failure to obey order or regulation) was charged in 31% of them, compared with 21% for all of 2021.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Trends › By Year › November 2021
Short answer: The records show 31 Navy and Marine Corps courts-martial in November 2021. Article 92 (failure to obey order or regulation) was charged in 31% of them, compared with 21% for all of 2021. The median confinement was 6 months, slightly shorter than the 7 months for the year, and 70% of convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge.
Orders Violations and Assault Were More Common
Charges are listed for 29 of the 31 cases, and a case with several articles is counted under each one. Article 92 (failure to obey order or regulation) appeared in 9 cases (31%), compared with 21% across the Navy and Marine Corps in 2021. Article 128 (assault) was the most common charge, in 12 cases (41%), compared with 32%.
Article 112a (wrongful use, possession of controlled substances) and Article 134 (general article) appeared in 8 cases each (28%). Their shares for the year were 25% and 26%. Article 129 (burglary; unlawful entry) appeared in 3 cases (10%), compared with 4%.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the Navy and Marine Corps for all of 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 128 Assault | 12 | 41% | 32% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 9 | 31% | 21% |
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 8 | 28% | 25% |
| Art. 134 General article | 8 | 28% | 26% |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 6 | 21% | 19% |
| Art. 129 Burglary; unlawful entry | 3 | 10% | 4% |
| Art. 81 Conspiracy | 3 | 10% | 11% |
| Art. 120c Other sexual misconduct | 2 | 7% | 5% |
Assault Had the Lowest Conviction Rate
For 3 of the top articles, every case ended in a conviction on that article: 9 of 9 for Article 92, and 8 of 8 each for Article 112a and Article 134. Article 128 had a lower rate, with a conviction on that article in 10 of 12 cases (83%).
The median confinement differed by charge: 5 months for drug convictions, 6 months for assault, 9 months for failure to obey an order, and 1.7 years for the general article. Each median covers the whole sentence in those cases, and the rows overlap.
| Article | Cases charging it | Convicted of it (share) | Median confinement when convicted of it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 128 Assault | 12 | 10 (83%) | 6 months |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 9 | 9 (9 of 9) | 9 months |
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 8 | 8 (8 of 8) | 5 months |
| Art. 134 General article | 8 | 8 (8 of 8) | 1.7 years |
More Punitive Discharges Than the Year
A punitive discharge was part of 70% of enlisted convictions: 12 bad-conduct discharges and 4 dishonorable discharges. The share across the Navy and Marine Corps in 2021 was 64%. The 1 convicted officer or warrant officer this month was dismissed. A dismissal is the officer form of a punitive discharge.
A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out an administrative separation later. Administrative separations are not in these records.
Shorter Sentences and Fewer Over 1 Year
Of 27 convictions on at least one charge, 23 included confinement (85%). The median confinement was 6 months, compared with 7 months for the year. A quarter of the sentences with confinement were 1.3 years 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 longer than one year came in 6 of 27 convictions (22%), less often than the 26% for 2021. Sentences under 6 months made up 41%, compared with 33%. 2 convictions were 5 years or more (7%).
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, the Navy and Marine Corps for all of 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 4 | 15% | 15% |
| Under 6 months | 11 | 41% | 33% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 6 | 22% | 26% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 4 | 15% | 21% |
| 5 years or more | 2 | 7% | 5% |
More General Courts-Martial
Of the 31 cases, 17 were general courts-martial (55%), compared with 48% for the year. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence. A special court-martial is capped at one year of confinement and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.
The general courts-martial had a median confinement of 1.4 years, and 47% were contested. The 14 special courts-martial had a median of 3 months, and 14% were contested.
Most Accused Pleaded Guilty
Pleas are listed for 29 of the 31 cases: 20 guilty pleas and 9 cases where the accused contested at least one charge. The contested share of 31% was about the same as the 32% for 2021. Of the 9 contested cases that reached a verdict, 2 ended in a full acquittal.
Contested cases were more common at the general courts-martial (47%) than at the special courts-martial (14%). A contested case can end in conviction on every charge, a partial acquittal, or a full acquittal.
Compared With November 2020
November 2020 had 36 cases, and November 2021 had 31. The median confinement was 6 months in both months, and punitive discharges went from 68% to 70%. The contested share went from 47% to 31%. Full acquittals went from 4 of 8 to 2 of 9. General courts-martial went from 42% to 55%.
Small monthly groups can change with a few cases, so these comparisons show direction rather than exact change.
| November 2020 | November 2021 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 36 | 31 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 47% | 31% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 4 of 8 | 2 of 9 |
| Convictions with confinement | 83% | 85% |
| Median confinement | 6 months | 6 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 68% | 70% |
| General courts-martial | 42% | 55% |
Rank and Installations
Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 69% of the accused, the same as for all of 2021. NCOs made up 27%, and officers made up 4%.
Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, tried 12 of the 31 cases, more than any other location. San Diego, California, and Norfolk, Virginia, tried 4 each. Camp Pendleton, California, tried 3, and Pensacola, Florida, tried 1. Together these five account for 77% of the month. Larger installations try more cases of every kind.
What the Records Do Not Show
The records give trial dates only, not the dates of the alleged conduct. Cases handled through nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation are not included. The records do not describe the evidence or plea terms.
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 2021 (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 October 2021 (previous / next)
- What the Navy-Marine Corps Tried in December 2021 (previous / next)
- How 2021 Went at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial (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.