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# Norfolk, Virginia in 2016: 55 Courts-Martial, Year in Review
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/norfolk-virginia-courts-martial-2016/
- Published: 2026-10-28T06:54:50.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-30T05:26:25.000Z
- Description: Norfolk, Virginia tried 55 courts-martial in 2016. The median confinement after a conviction was 9 months, compared with 6 months across the Navy and Marine Corps. False official statements under Article 107 were charged in 21% of cases, compared with 13% service-wide.
- Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart
- Tags: Understanding Trends, Norfolk, Virginia, Navy-Marine Corps

[Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [By Installation](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-installation/) › [Norfolk, Virginia](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-at-norfolk-virginia/) › 2016

**Short answer:** Norfolk, Virginia tried 55 courts-martial in 2016\. The median confinement after a conviction was 9 months, compared with 6 months across the Navy and Marine Corps. False official statements under Article 107 were charged in 21% of cases, compared with 13% service-wide.

Based on 55 cases · 2016 · Navy and Marine Corps records · data updated October 24, 2026

## False Statements and Sexual Assault Were Charged More Often

Charge lists exist for 52 of the 55 cases. Article 107 (false official statements) was charged in 11 cases (21%), compared with 13% in all Navy and Marine Corps cases that year. Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) was charged in 15 cases: 29%, compared with 21%.

Drug charges were less common. Article 112a was charged in 7 cases, 13% of the total, compared with 26% across the Navy and Marine Corps. Assault under Article 128 was the most common charge: 44%, compared with 38%. Article 81 (conspiracy) was charged in 6 cases. A case with several articles counts once under each.

| UCMJ Article                                                                                                                                       | Cases | Share here | Share, Navy and Marine Corps-wide |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | ---------- | --------------------------------- |
| [Art. 128](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-128/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Assault                                   | 23    | 44%        | 38%                               |
| [Art. 120](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-120-sexual-assault/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Rape and sexual assault                            | 15    | 29%        | 21%                               |
| [Art. 107](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-107/?ref=bodiesburied.com) False official statements                 | 11    | 21%        | 13%                               |
| [Art. 121](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-121/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Larceny                                   | 8     | 15%        | 11%                               |
| [Art. 112a](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-112a-drug-offenses/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 7     | 13%        | 26%                               |
| Art. 81 Conspiracy                                                                                                                                 | 6     | 12%        | 9%                                |
| Art. 131b Obstruction, numbered since 2019                                                                                                         | 4     | 8%         | 5%                                |
| [Art. 120c](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-120c/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Other sexual misconduct                 | 4     | 8%         | 6%                                |

## Outcomes for the Top Charges

False statement cases were rarely contested. Cases charging Article 107 ended in a guilty plea 91% of the time (10 of 11), the most among the top charges. Of those 11 cases, 10 ended in a conviction on that article. Article 121 (larceny) ended in a conviction in 8 of 8.

Article 120 cases were the opposite. Only 40% ended in a guilty plea (6 of 15), and 9 of 15 (60%) ended in a conviction on the sexual assault charge. The median confinement for those convictions was 3.5 years. The rows overlap, because a case can include a conviction on one article and an acquittal on another. The records do not explain why an accused pleaded guilty or not guilty.

| Article                            | Cases charging it | Convicted of it (share) | Median confinement when convicted of it |
| ---------------------------------- | ----------------- | ----------------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| Art. 128 Assault                   | 23                | 18 (78%)                | 9 months                                |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault   | 15                | 9 (60%)                 | 3.5 years                               |
| Art. 107 False official statements | 11                | 10 (91%)                | 10 months                               |
| Art. 121 Larceny                   | 8                 | 8 (8 of 8)              | 7 months                                |

## Sentences Were Longer Than the Service Median

Confinement was part of 96% of the 45 convictions. The median confinement was 9 months, compared with 6 months in the rest of the Navy and Marine Corps. A quarter of sentences were 3 years or longer.

Sentences of 6 months to 1 year made up 36% of convictions, compared with 27% service-wide. Sentences of 5 years or more made up 11%, compared with 7%. Overall, 14 of 45 convictions (31%) included more than one year, compared with 27%. Only 2 convictions had no confinement.

These are adjudged sentences, imposed at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each covers all charges in the case.

| Adjudged confinement            | Convictions | Share here | Share, all Navy and Marine Corps cases in those years |
| ------------------------------- | ----------- | ---------- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| No confinement                  | 2           | 4%         | 10%                                                   |
| Under 6 months                  | 13          | 29%        | 35%                                                   |
| 6 months to 1 year              | 16          | 36%        | 27%                                                   |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 9           | 20%        | 20%                                                   |
| 5 years or more                 | 5           | 11%        | 7%                                                    |

## Pleas and Verdicts

The plea is listed in 54 of 55 records: 37 guilty pleas and 17 contested cases. A contested case has a not-guilty plea to at least one charge. The 31% contested share is higher than the 27% in the rest of the Navy and Marine Corps. Records before December 2020 often omit the plea, so this count uses only those that list it.

Of 17 contested cases with a verdict, 9 ended in a full acquittal (53%). That is slightly lower than the 56% across the Navy and Marine Corps. Another 2 (12%) were partial acquittals: not guilty of at least one charge or specification but guilty of another.

## Punitive Discharges for Enlisted Members

Of 45 convicted enlisted members, 30 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (67%), compared with 62% across the Navy and Marine Corps. Of those 30 discharges, 11 were dishonorable. Members without a punitive discharge could still face an administrative separation.

## Court Level and Rank

There were 35 general and 20 special courts-martial. The 64% general court-martial share compares with 49% service-wide. At general courts-martial, 96% of convictions included confinement, with a median of 1.2 years. At special courts-martial, which are capped at one year, 94% did, with a 6-month median.

By rank, the accused were 25 junior enlisted members, 29 NCOs, and 1 officer. That is a more senior group than the Navy and Marine Corps as a whole.

## How 2016 Compared With 2015

The number of cases was about the same: 57 in 2015 and 55 in 2016\. The contested share went from 32% to 31%. Full acquittals went from 11 of 18 to 9 of 17.

Sentences changed more. Median confinement rose from 5 months to 9 months. Confinement was part of 96% of convictions, compared with 85%. Punitive discharges for enlisted members went from 50% to 67%. General courts-martial rose from 42% to 64% of cases. A few cases can change any of these figures, so the changes show direction, not precision.

|                                     | 2015     | 2016     |
| ----------------------------------- | -------- | -------- |
| Cases                               | 57       | 55       |
| Contested (of pleas recorded)       | 32%      | 31%      |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 11 of 18 | 9 of 17  |
| Convictions with confinement        | 85%      | 96%      |
| Median confinement                  | 5 months | 9 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted)       | 50%      | 67%      |
| General courts-martial              | 42%      | 64%      |

## Norfolk Compared With Similar Installations

San Diego, California (45 cases) and Bremerton, Washington (37 cases) tried a similar number of cases. Norfolk had the highest contested share: 31%, compared with 22% and 3%. It had the longest median confinement, 9 months. Its punitive discharge rate, 67%, was higher than the 56% at each of the other 2.

| Installation          | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) |
| --------------------- | ----- | --------- | ----------------------------------- | ------------------ | ----------------------------- |
| Norfolk, Virginia     | 55    | 31%       | 9 of 17                             | 9 months           | 67%                           |
| San Diego, California | 45    | 22%       | 7 of 10                             | 6 months           | 56%                           |
| Bremerton, Washington | 37    | 3%        | 1 of 1                              | 5 months           | 56%                           |

## What the Records Do Not Show

The 2016 trials were before the Military Justice Act of 2016 took effect on January 1, 2019\. The records give trial dates, not offense dates. They do not show the evidence, plea terms, nonjudicial punishment, or administrative separations.

Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: [UCMJ change timeline](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/ucmj-change-timeline/).

### How We Counted

Every court-martial tried at Norfolk, Virginia with a trial date in 2016 (55 cases).

Source: public court-martial records (Article 140a, UCMJ) in [Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/), data updated October 24, 2026\. Definitions, sources, and known gaps: [how this data was built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/how-the-military-trial-results-data-was-built/). Errors: content@bodiesburied.com.

## Related Analysis

- [Norfolk, Virginia: Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-at-norfolk-virginia/) (hub)
- [By Year](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-year/) (hub)
- [What Norfolk, Virginia Tried in 2015](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/norfolk-virginia-courts-martial-2015/) (previous / next)
- [A Year of Courts-Martial at Norfolk, Virginia: 2017](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/norfolk-virginia-courts-martial-2017/) (previous / next)
- [Norfolk, Virginia, 2013–2018: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 308 Cases](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/norfolk-virginia-courts-martial-2013-2018/) (the whole period)
- [A Year of Courts-Martial at Bremerton, Washington: 2015](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/bremerton-washington-courts-martial-2015/)
- [A Year of Courts-Martial at Bremerton, Washington: 2017](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/bremerton-washington-courts-martial-2017/)
- [A Year of Courts-Martial at Bremerton, Washington: 2018](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/bremerton-washington-courts-martial-2018/)
- [A Year of Courts-Martial at Bremerton, Washington: 2020](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/bremerton-washington-courts-martial-2020/)
- [Search every case in Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/) (members)

← Previous: [What Norfolk, Virginia Tried in 2015](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/norfolk-virginia-courts-martial-2015/)Next: [A Year of Courts-Martial at Norfolk, Virginia: 2017](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/norfolk-virginia-courts-martial-2017/) →

**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](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/?ref=bodiesburied.com). This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.