October 2022 at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial: 37 Cases
The records show 37 Navy and Marine Corps courts-martial in October 2022. Assault under Article 128 was charged in 29% of them, compared with 23% for all of 2022.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Trends › By Year › October 2022
Short answer: The records show 37 Navy and Marine Corps courts-martial in October 2022. Assault under Article 128 was charged in 29% of them, compared with 23% for all of 2022. The median confinement was 5 months, slightly shorter than the 6 months for the year, and 68% of convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge.
Assault Was the Most Common Charge
Charges are listed for 35 of the 37 cases, and each article is counted once per case. Article 128 (assault) appeared in 10 cases (29%), compared with 23% across the Navy and Marine Corps in 2022. Article 112a (wrongful use, possession of controlled substances) was next, in 8 cases (23%), about the same as its 22% for the year.
Article 134 (general article) was less common, 14% compared with 20%. Article 92 (failure to obey order or regulation) was also less common, 14% compared with 18%. Some smaller groups appeared more often than across the year. Article 80 (attempts), Article 86 (AWOL), and Article 131b (obstructing justice) appeared in 9% of cases each, compared with 6%, 6%, and 5%.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the Navy and Marine Corps for all of 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 128 Assault | 10 | 29% | 23% |
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 8 | 23% | 22% |
| Art. 134 General article | 5 | 14% | 20% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 5 | 14% | 18% |
| Art. 80 Attempts | 3 | 9% | 6% |
| Art. 86 AWOL | 3 | 9% | 6% |
| Art. 131b Obstructing justice | 3 | 9% | 5% |
| Art. 108 Military property; loss, damage, destruction | 2 | 6% | 1% |
Many Partial Acquittals
Of 12 contested cases that reached a verdict, 2 ended in a full acquittal (17%), about the same as the 20% for 2022. Another 5 ended in a partial acquittal (42%), meaning the accused was found not guilty of at least one charge or specification and guilty of another.
Pleas are listed for 34 of the 37 records: 22 guilty pleas and 12 contested cases, where the accused pleaded not guilty to at least one charge. The contested share of 35% was about the same as the 33% for the year.
Shorter Sentences Than the Year
Of 32 convictions, 26 included confinement. The median confinement was 5 months, compared with 6 months for the year. A quarter of the sentences with confinement were 1 year or longer. These are adjudged sentences, set 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 32 convictions (19%), about the same as the 20% for 2022. Sentences under 6 months made up 41%, compared with 38%. 6 convictions had no confinement (19%). 2 convictions were 5 years or more (6%).
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, the Navy and Marine Corps for all of 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 6 | 19% | 17% |
| Under 6 months | 13 | 41% | 38% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 7 | 22% | 25% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 4 | 12% | 16% |
| 5 years or more | 2 | 6% | 4% |
Convictions on Assault and Drug Charges
Article 128 cases ended in a conviction on that article in 9 of 10 cases (90%), with a median confinement of 8 months. Article 112a cases ended in a conviction on that article in 7 of 8 cases. Those convictions had a longer median, 11 months.
A case can include both articles, or a conviction on one charge and an acquittal on another, so the rows overlap. Each median is based on the full sentence in those cases.
| Article | Cases charging it | Convicted of it (share) | Median confinement when convicted of it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 128 Assault | 10 | 9 (90%) | 8 months |
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 8 | 7 (7 of 8) | 11 months |
More Punitive Discharges Than a Year Earlier
A punitive discharge was part of 68% of enlisted convictions: 14 bad-conduct discharges and 5 dishonorable discharges. The share for 2022 was 64%. The month had 3 convicted officers or warrant officers, and none was dismissed.
A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out an administrative separation later. These records do not include administrative separations.
Most Cases Were Special Courts-Martial
General courts-martial made up 38% of cases (14 of 37), and special courts-martial made up the other 23. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including long confinement and a dishonorable discharge. A special court-martial cannot impose more than one year of confinement or a dishonorable discharge.
The general courts-martial had a median confinement of 1 year, and 36% were contested. The special courts-martial had a median of 2 months, and 35% were contested. The contested share was about the same at both levels.
A More Senior Group
Among the accused with rank recorded, 19 were junior enlisted (E-1 to E-4), 12 were NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 3 were officers or warrant officers. The group was more senior than the year, when 65% of the accused were junior enlisted.
Compared With October 2021
October 2021 had 38 cases, and October 2022 had 37. The median confinement was 5 months in both months. Punitive discharges for enlisted members went from 50% to 68%, and convictions with confinement went from 74% to 81%. General courts-martial went from 29% to 38% of cases, and the contested share went from 31% to 35%. Full acquittals went from 1 of 11 to 2 of 12.
Small monthly groups can change with a few cases, so these comparisons show direction only.
| October 2021 | October 2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 38 | 37 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 31% | 35% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 1 of 11 | 2 of 12 |
| Convictions with confinement | 74% | 81% |
| Median confinement | 5 months | 5 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 50% | 68% |
| General courts-martial | 29% | 38% |
Installations and Record Limits
Camp Pendleton, California, tried 7 cases. Norfolk, Virginia, and Jacksonville, Florida, tried 5 each. San Diego, California, tried 4, and Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, tried 3. Together these five account for 65% of the month. Larger installations try more cases of every kind.
The records give trial dates, not offense dates. They do not describe the evidence or plea terms. Cases handled by nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation 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 October 2022 (37 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)
- September 2022 at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial: 26 Cases (previous / next)
- What the Navy-Marine Corps Tried in November 2022 (previous / next)
- Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial in 2022: 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.