October 2023 at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial: 26 Cases
The records show 26 Navy and Marine Corps courts-martial in October 2023. The median confinement was 1.2 years, compared with 6 months for all of 2023. Few cases were contested: 20% of cases with a recorded plea, compared with 32% for the year.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Trends › By Year › October 2023
Short answer: The records show 26 Navy and Marine Corps courts-martial in October 2023. The median confinement was 1.2 years, compared with 6 months for all of 2023. Few cases were contested: 20% of cases with a recorded plea, compared with 32% for the year.
A Long Median Sentence in a Small Month
Of 24 convictions, 16 included confinement. The median confinement was 1.2 years, longer than the 6 months for the Navy and Marine Corps in 2023. A quarter of the sentences with confinement were 3 years or longer. These are adjudged sentences, set at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal, and each covers every charge in the case.
Sentences longer than one year came in 8 of 24 convictions (33%), more often than the 23% for the year. That includes 2 convictions of 5 years or more (8%, compared with 4%) and 6 of more than 1 year and under 5 years (25%, compared with 19%).
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, the Navy and Marine Corps for all of 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 8 | 33% | 21% |
| Under 6 months | 4 | 17% | 33% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 4 | 17% | 23% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 6 | 25% | 19% |
| 5 years or more | 2 | 8% | 4% |
Many Convictions With No Confinement
The month also had many convictions with no confinement: 8 of 24 (33%), compared with 21% for the year. Shorter sentences were less common. Sentences under 6 months made up 17%, compared with 33%. Sentences from 6 months to 1 year made up 17%, compared with 23%.
Most sentences this month were either no confinement or more than one year. Few were in between.
Sentences by Court Level
The 26 cases were split evenly: 13 general courts-martial and 13 special courts-martial. The general share of 50% was about the same as the 46% for 2023. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.
At the general courts-martial, 100% of convictions included confinement, with a median of 2.1 years. At the special courts-martial, 33% of convictions included confinement, with a median of 6 months. So every conviction without confinement came from a special court-martial, and every sentence over one year came from a general court-martial.
Guilty Pleas in Most Cases
Pleas are listed for 25 of the 26 records: 20 guilty pleas and 5 contested cases, where the accused pleaded not guilty to at least one charge. The contested share of 20% was lower than the 32% for 2023. Of the 5 contested cases that reached a verdict, 1 ended in a full acquittal.
Charges Across Many Articles
Charges are listed for 25 of the 26 cases, and each article is counted once per case. Article 128 (assault) was the most common charge, in 6 cases (24%), compared with 26% for the year. Article 92 (failure to obey order or regulation) and Article 134 (general article) appeared in 4 cases each (16%). Both were lower than their 18% and 22% for the year.
Some smaller articles appeared more often than across the year. Article 120c (other sexual misconduct) appeared in 12% of cases, compared with 2%. Article 80 (attempts) appeared in 12%, compared with 5%. Article 82 (soliciting) appeared in 8%, compared with 2%. Article 112a (wrongful use, possession of controlled substances) was less common, 8% compared with 13%.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the Navy and Marine Corps for all of 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 128 Assault | 6 | 24% | 26% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 4 | 16% | 18% |
| Art. 134 General article | 4 | 16% | 22% |
| Art. 128b Domestic violence | 3 | 12% | 10% |
| Art. 80 Attempts | 3 | 12% | 5% |
| Art. 120c Other sexual misconduct | 3 | 12% | 2% |
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 2 | 8% | 13% |
| Art. 82 Soliciting | 2 | 8% | 2% |
Fewer Punitive Discharges Than the Year
A punitive discharge was part of 57% of enlisted convictions: 9 bad-conduct discharges and 4 dishonorable discharges. The share across 2023 was 63%. 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.
Rank of the Accused
Among the accused with rank recorded, 13 were junior enlisted (E-1 to E-4), 11 were NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 1 was an officer or warrant officer. The group was more senior than the year, when 65% of the accused were junior enlisted.
The share of general courts-martial, 50%, was also higher than the 46% for the year. Only a general court-martial can impose more than one year of confinement or a dishonorable discharge.
October 2022 Compared With October 2023
The number of cases went from 37 to 26. The median confinement went from 5 months to 1.2 years, and convictions with confinement went from 81% to 67%. General courts-martial went from 38% to 50% of cases. The contested share went from 35% to 20%, and punitive discharges went from 68% to 57%. Full acquittals went from 2 of 12 to 1 of 5.
In a month this small, a few cases can change each measure, so these comparisons show direction rather than size.
| October 2022 | October 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 37 | 26 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 35% | 20% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 2 of 12 | 1 of 5 |
| Convictions with confinement | 81% | 67% |
| Median confinement | 5 months | 1.2 years |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 68% | 57% |
| General courts-martial | 38% | 50% |
Locations and Limits
Camp Pendleton, California, tried 6 cases, and Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, tried 3. Okinawa, Japan, Washington, D.C., and San Diego, California, tried 2 each. These locations account for 58% of the month. Larger installations try more cases of every kind.
The records give trial dates, not offense dates, and they do not describe the evidence or plea terms. Nonjudicial punishment and administrative separations 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 2023 (26 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, September 2023: The Month in Review (previous / next)
- November 2023 at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial: 23 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.