Did Orders Violation Cases at Norfolk, Virginia Change After 2019?
In some ways, yes. Norfolk, Virginia tried 23 courts-martial charging Article 92 (orders violation) in 2019–2023, compared with 38 in 2013–2018.
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Short answer: In some ways, yes. Norfolk, Virginia tried 23 courts-martial charging Article 92 (orders violation) in 2019–2023, compared with 38 in 2013–2018. Sentences were more severe: median confinement went from 4 months to 6 months, and punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members went from 47% to 62%. The contested share fell, from 31% to 26%.
More Severe Outcomes Than in 2013–2018
The 2013–2018 records hold 38 Article 92 cases at Norfolk over 6 years, about 6 a year. Since then, there have been about 5 a year. In the later period, there were 4 cases in 2019, 2 in 2020, 8 in 2021, 7 in 2022, and 2 in 2023. Most of the later cases were tried in 2021 and 2022.
Median confinement rose from 4 months to 6 months. Punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members rose from 47% to 62%. General courts-martial went from 21% to 35% of cases. Convictions with confinement were about the same, at 76% and 77%. With only 23 recent cases, a few outcomes can change these numbers, so they show direction, not precise size.
| 2013–2018 | 2019–2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 38 | 23 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 31% | 26% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 4 of 11 | 1 of 6 |
| Convictions with confinement | 76% | 77% |
| Median confinement | 4 months | 6 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 47% | 62% |
| General courts-martial | 21% | 35% |
Serious Charges in the Same Cases
Almost every case included more than the orders violation: 20 of the 23 included at least one other article. Article 107 (false official statement) and Article 134 (general article) were each charged in 6 cases. Article 128 (assault), Article 119 (manslaughter), and Article 129 (burglary before 2019; burglary and unlawful entry since) were charged in 4 each.
A sentence covers every charge in the case. The confinement and discharge figures here include those other offenses as well as the orders violation. Article 134, the general article, covers conduct that harms good order and discipline or discredits the service.
Pleas and Verdicts
Of the 23 accused, 17 pleaded guilty. The other 6 contested at least one charge with a not-guilty or mixed plea. The 26% contested share is lower than the 35% in Navy and Marine Corps Article 92 cases overall, so fewer cases here were contested.
Full acquittals in contested cases that reached a verdict went from 4 of 11 in the earlier period to 1 of 6 in the later one. The records do not describe the evidence or show why an accused pleaded guilty or not guilty.
Confinement After a Conviction
Of 22 convictions, 17 included confinement. The median confinement was 6 months, the same as in Navy and Marine Corps Article 92 cases overall. A quarter of sentences were 1 year or longer.
Sentences of 6 months to 1 year were more common: 32% of convictions, compared with 22%. Sentences of 5 years or more made up 9%, compared with 3%. Sentences under 6 months were less common: 32%, compared with 38%. Sentences of more than 1 year and under 5 years were also less common: 5%, compared with 13%. Overall, 3 of 22 convictions (14%) included more than one year, compared with 16%. There was no confinement in 23% of convictions, compared with 24%. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal, and they cover every charge in a case.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, Navy and Marine Corps-wide Article 92 cases |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 5 | 23% | 24% |
| Under 6 months | 7 | 32% | 38% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 7 | 32% | 22% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 1 | 5% | 13% |
| 5 years or more | 2 | 9% | 3% |
Punitive Discharges Slightly Higher Than Service-Wide
A punitive discharge is a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge for enlisted members. One followed 62% of enlisted convictions here: 10 bad-conduct and 3 dishonorable. In all Navy and Marine Corps Article 92 cases in 2019–2023, the share was 58%.
A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out an administrative separation afterward. These records do not track separations.
Court Level
General courts-martial tried 8 of the 23 cases (35%), compared with 33% in the rest of the Navy and Marine Corps. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including a dishonorable discharge and confinement longer than one year.
A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and can impose a bad-conduct discharge but not a dishonorable discharge. The longest sentences and the 3 dishonorable discharges therefore came from general courts-martial.
A Senior Group of Accused
Among the accused, there were 14 NCOs and 8 junior enlisted members. There were no officers. That mix is more senior than the rest of the Navy and Marine Corps. These cases made up 11% of the 205 courts-martial at Norfolk in 2019–2023.
What the Records Do Not Show
The records give trial dates, not offense dates, so a trial in one year may concern conduct from an earlier year. They do not show the evidence or plea terms. Orders violations handled through nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation are not included. Navy and Marine Corps records before December 2020 often omit the plea.
For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 92 on the law firm's website. Dates and sources for the law changes: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Courts-martial tried at Norfolk, Virginia that charged Article 92 (found guilty, not guilty, or both): 2013–2018 (38) and 2019–2023 (23). Comparisons use every Navy and Marine Corps case charging Article 92 in 2019–2023.
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
- Norfolk, Virginia: Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- Article 92 (Failure to Obey Order or Regulation): Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Installation (hub)
- Norfolk, Virginia, 2013–2018: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 308 Cases (the whole docket)
- What Was Tried at Norfolk, Virginia, 2019–2023? 205 Courts-Martial (the whole docket)
- What Was Tried at Norfolk, Virginia, 2024–2026? 77 Courts-Martial (the whole docket)
- Did Orders Violation Cases at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina Change After 2019? (same offense, another installation)
- Did Orders Violation Cases at Camp Pendleton, California Change After 2019? (same offense, another installation)
- Is Navy-Marine Corps Orders Violation Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 92, 2017–2025
- Article 92 explained on the law firm's website
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Military Judges Who Presided Over Article 92 Cases at Norfolk, Virginia, 2019–2023
Names and links only. Each judge's record of pleas, findings, and sentences is on their Know Your Judge page, part of the Court-Martial Characters membership.
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.