How Norfolk, Virginia Handled Sexual Assault Cases (Article 120), 2013–2018

Trends › By Installation › Norfolk, Virginia › Article 120, 2013–2018

Based on 86 cases · 2013–2018 · Navy and Marine Corps records · data updated October 24, 2026

Sexual Assault Cases Were 28% of Norfolk's Courts-Martial

This post covers one offense at one installation: Article 120 cases tried at Norfolk, Virginia, from 2013 through 2018. The 86 cases account for 28% of the 308 courts-martial at Norfolk in those years.

The highest yearly counts were early in the period: 21 in 2014 and 19 in 2015, after 9 in 2013. The count then fell to 15 in 2016, 12 in 2017, and 10 in 2018. The cases were tried from April 2013 through December 2018.

Most Cases Were Contested

Of the 86 cases, 57 were contested, meaning the accused pleaded not guilty to at least one charge. The other 29 were guilty pleas. The contested share of 66% is slightly lower than the 70% across Navy and Marine Corps Article 120 cases.

Contested cases were common at both court levels. The contested share was 64% at general courts-martial and 77% at special courts-martial.

Verdicts in Contested Cases

Of the 57 contested cases with a verdict, 28 ended in a full acquittal (49%). That is lower than the 53% across Navy and Marine Corps Article 120 cases. With 57 cases, a few different verdicts would change the comparison.

Another 5 cases (9%) ended in a partial acquittal: not guilty of at least one charge or specification, but guilty of another. These counts describe past verdicts at one installation. They do not show the evidence in any case.

Assault Was the Most Common Other Charge

Article 120 was rarely charged alone. In 75 of the 86 cases, at least one other article was charged. Article 128 (assault) was charged in 64 cases. Article 120b (child sexual abuse) was charged in 13, Article 107 (false official statement) in 9, Article 134 (the general article) in 5, and Article 80 (attempt) in 4.

Each sentence covers all the charges in a case. The sentence figures below reflect all the findings in each case, not the Article 120 charge alone.

Confinement After a Conviction

The 86 cases produced 58 convictions, and 52 included confinement. The median confinement was 2.5 years, shorter than the 3 years for Navy and Marine Corps Article 120 cases overall. A quarter of sentences were 7.2 years or longer.

Sentences longer than one year were about as common as service-wide: 34 of 58 convictions (59%), compared with 60%. Sentences of 5 years or more made up 28%, the same as the comparison group. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal.

Most Cases Were General Courts-Martial

Of the 86 cases, 73 were general courts-martial (85%). That is about the same as the 87% in Navy and Marine Corps Article 120 cases overall. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including long confinement and a dishonorable discharge. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.

The median confinement was 3 years at the general courts-martial and 4 months at the 13 special courts-martial.

Fewer Punitive Discharges Than Service-Wide

Of 54 enlisted members convicted, 40 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (74%). Across Navy and Marine Corps Article 120 cases, the share was 82%. Of those 40 discharges, 29 were dishonorable.

The group includes 3 convicted officers or warrant officers, and 2 were dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.

Rank and the Law in Force

By rank, 42 accused were junior enlisted (E-1 to E-4), 36 were NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 7 were officers or warrant officers. That mix is similar to Navy and Marine Corps Article 120 cases overall, where 48% were junior enlisted.

All of these trials were before the Military Justice Act of 2016 took effect on January 1, 2019. Article 120 was rewritten in 2012 and amended again for offenses on or after January 1, 2019. Each case is charged under the version in force when the offense happened.

What the Records Do Not Show

The records give trial dates, not offense dates. They do not describe the evidence or plea terms. Navy and Marine Corps records before December 2020 often omit the forum, so this post does not report who decided guilt. Cases handled by nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation are not included.

For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 120 on the law firm's website. Dates and sources for the law changes: UCMJ change timeline.

Compare: federal court. Sexual Abuse of an Adult: Federal Cases vs. Article 120 Courts-Martial

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.