Assault Charges at Norfolk, Virginia, 2019–2023: Pleas, Verdicts, and Sentences

Trends › By Installation › Norfolk, Virginia › Article 128, 2019–2023

Based on 76 cases · 2019–2023 · Navy and Marine Corps records · data updated October 24, 2026

Assault Was Charged in 37% of Norfolk's Courts-Martial

The 76 cases charging Article 128 made up 37% of the 205 courts-martial held at Norfolk from January 2019 to October 2023.

The count was highest in the first year, with 26 cases in 2019. There were 10 in 2020, 12 in 2021, 16 in 2022, and 12 in 2023. The records give trial dates, not offense dates, so a case tried in 2019 may involve conduct from earlier years.

More Contested Cases, Slightly Fewer Full Acquittals

Of 74 records that list a plea, 33 show a not-guilty or mixed plea and 41 show a guilty plea. That 45% contested share is higher than the 40% across the Navy and Marine Corps as a whole. A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge.

Of the 33 contested cases that reached a verdict, 15 ended in a full acquittal (45%). That is slightly lower than the 49% in Navy and Marine Corps-wide Article 128 cases. Another 2 (6%) were partial acquittals: not guilty of at least one charge or specification and guilty of another.

Sexual Assault Was Often Charged in the Same Case

Article 128 was the only charge in 31 of the 76 cases. Service-wide, 194 of 574 Article 128 cases charged it alone. Article 120 (sexual assault) was the most common other charge, in 28 cases. Article 120b (child sexual abuse), Article 80 (attempt), and Article 134 (general article) were each charged in 5, and Article 92 (orders violation) in 4.

An assault charge next to a sexual assault or domestic violence charge can describe part of the same incident. The outcomes and sentences in these cases describe the whole case, not the assault charge alone.

Confinement After a Conviction

The 76 cases produced 60 convictions, and 48 included confinement. The median confinement was 6 months, the same as the 6 months for the rest of the Navy and Marine Corps. A quarter of sentences were 1.5 years or longer.

There was no confinement in 12 convictions (20%), compared with 14% service-wide. Another 6 convictions (10%) had sentences of 5 years or more, compared with 5%. Sentences longer than one year were adjudged in 14 of 60 convictions (23%), about the same as the 24% across all Navy and Marine Corps Article 128 cases. All are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal.

Sentences at the Two Court Levels

General courts-martial tried 45 cases (59%), and special courts-martial tried 31. At general courts-martial, 93% of convictions included confinement, with a median of 1.3 years. At special courts-martial, 68% did, with a median of 3 months.

A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including a dishonorable discharge and long confinement. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year. Since 2019, a special court-martial can also be tried by a military judge alone, which limits confinement to six months with no punitive discharge.

Punitive Discharges for Enlisted Members and Officers

Of 54 convicted enlisted members, 32 received a punitive discharge: 22 bad-conduct and 10 dishonorable. Across all Navy and Marine Corps Article 128 cases in 2019–2023, the share was 61%.

The records also show 6 convicted officers or warrant officers, and none was dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge or dismissal does not rule out an administrative separation, which these records do not track.

More NCOs Than Junior Enlisted Members

By rank, the accused included 37 NCOs, 33 junior enlisted members, and 6 officers. That was a more senior group than in Navy and Marine Corps-wide Article 128 cases. All 6 officers appear among the convicted officers counted above. None of them was dismissed.

Assault and Special Trial Counsel

Article 128 assault is not a covered offense on its own. A special trial counsel who takes a covered offense can also take related charges, such as an assault tied to a domestic violence allegation. The records do not show which office handled any case here.

What the Records Do Not Show

The records count only court-martial outcomes: charges, pleas, findings, and sentences. They do not include the evidence, plea terms, or offense dates. Assaults handled through nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation are not included. Navy and Marine Corps records before December 2020 often omit the plea and forum, so this post does not report who decided guilt.

For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 128 on the law firm's website. Dates and sources for the law changes: UCMJ change timeline.

Compare: federal court. Aggravated Assault: Federal Sentences vs. Article 128 Courts-Martial, 2016–2025

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.