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# Norfolk, Virginia in 2019: 51 Courts-Martial, Year in Review
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/norfolk-virginia-courts-martial-2019/
- Published: 2026-10-28T06:54:51.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-30T05:26:28.000Z
- Description: Norfolk, Virginia tried 51 courts-martial in 2019, and 43% were contested, compared with 28% across the Navy and Marine Corps. Assault under Article 128 was charged in 54% of cases, compared with 34% service-wide. Sexual assault under Article 120 was charged in 31%, compared with 14%.
- 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/) › 2019

**Short answer:** Norfolk, Virginia tried 51 courts-martial in 2019, and 43% were contested, compared with 28% across the Navy and Marine Corps. Assault under Article 128 was charged in 54% of cases, compared with 34% service-wide. Sexual assault under Article 120 was charged in 31%, compared with 14%.

Based on 51 cases · 2019 · Navy and Marine Corps records · data updated October 24, 2026

## Many Cases Were Contested

The accused at Norfolk in 2019 contested their charges more often than the accused elsewhere in the Navy and Marine Corps. Of 49 records listing a plea, 28 were guilty pleas and 21 were contested, meaning the accused pleaded not guilty to at least one charge. That 43% contested share compares with 28% across the Navy and Marine Corps.

The contested share was higher at general courts-martial, 50%, than at special courts-martial, 33%. Navy and Marine Corps records before December 2020 often omit the plea, so these figures use only the records that list one.

## Assault and Sexual Assault Were the Most Common Charges

Of 48 cases with charge lists, 26 included Article 128 (assault), or 54%. Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) was charged in 15 (31%), compared with 14% service-wide. Article 93 (cruelty and maltreatment) was charged in 4 cases: 8%, compared with 1%. Article 80 (attempts) was charged in 7: 15%, compared with 10%.

Some common charges were less frequent. Article 112a drug offenses were in 19% of cases, compared with 30% across the Navy and Marine Corps. Article 92 orders violations were in 8%, compared with 17%. A case with several articles counts once under each.

| UCMJ Article                                                                                                                                       | Cases | Share here | Share, the Navy and Marine Corps as a whole |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | ---------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| [Art. 128](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-128/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Assault                                   | 26    | 54%        | 34%                                         |
| [Art. 120](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-120-sexual-assault/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Rape and sexual assault                            | 15    | 31%        | 14%                                         |
| [Art. 112a](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-112a-drug-offenses/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 9     | 19%        | 30%                                         |
| [Art. 80](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-80/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Attempts                                    | 7     | 15%        | 10%                                         |
| [Art. 134](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-134/?ref=bodiesburied.com) General article                           | 6     | 12%        | 12%                                         |
| [Art. 120b](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-120b/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Rape and sexual assault of a child      | 5     | 10%        | 8%                                          |
| [Art. 92](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-92/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Failure to obey order or regulation         | 4     | 8%         | 17%                                         |
| Art. 93 Cruelty and maltreatment                                                                                                                   | 4     | 8%         | 1%                                          |

## Verdicts in Contested Cases

All 21 contested cases reached a verdict, and full acquittals came in 43% of them (9 of 21). That rate is lower than the 55% across all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2019\. Another 1 was a partial acquittal, in which the accused was found not guilty of at least one charge but guilty of another.

## Results by Charge

Assault cases ended in a guilty plea 58% of the time (14 of 24), the most among the top charges. Article 120 cases ended in a guilty plea 21% of the time (3 of 14). The records do not explain why an accused pleaded guilty or not guilty.

Drug charges ended in a conviction on the charged article most often: 8 of 9, with a median confinement of 2 months. Article 128 ended in a conviction in 22 of 26 (85%), with a 1-year median. Article 120 had the lowest rate, 9 of 15 (60%), and those convictions had a median of 3.5 years. A case can include a conviction on one article and an acquittal on another, so these rows overlap.

| Article                                                     | Cases charging it | Convicted of it (share) | Median confinement when convicted of it |
| ----------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------- | ----------------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| Art. 128 Assault                                            | 26                | 22 (85%)                | 1 year                                  |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault                            | 15                | 9 (60%)                 | 3.5 years                               |
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 9                 | 8 (8 of 9)              | 2 months                                |

## Length of Confinement

Of 41 convictions, 85% included confinement. The median confinement was 6 months, the same as the service median. A quarter of sentences were 2 years or longer.

Sentences longer than one year were adjudged in 11 of 41 convictions (27%), about the same as the 24% across the Navy and Marine Corps. The largest difference was at the top: 5 convictions (12%) had sentences of 5 years or more, compared with 5% service-wide. These are adjudged sentences, imposed at trial 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 |
| ------------------------------- | ----------- | ---------- | --------------------------------- |
| No confinement                  | 6           | 15%        | 18%                               |
| Under 6 months                  | 15          | 37%        | 35%                               |
| 6 months to 1 year              | 9           | 22%        | 23%                               |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 6           | 15%        | 19%                               |
| 5 years or more                 | 5           | 12%        | 5%                                |

## Punitive Discharges After a Conviction

Of 38 convicted enlisted members, 21 received a punitive discharge: 12 bad-conduct and 9 dishonorable. That 55% rate was lower than the 60% service-wide. Of 3 convicted officers or warrant officers, 1 was dismissed. A sentence with no punitive discharge does not rule out an administrative separation.

## Court Level and Rank

General courts-martial, which can impose any lawful sentence including a dishonorable discharge, made up 30 of 51 cases (59%). Across the Navy and Marine Corps, the share was 43%. Their median confinement was 1.1 years. The 21 special courts-martial, which are capped at one year of confinement, had a 4-month median. Since 2019, a special court-martial can also be tried by a military judge alone, capped at six months with no punitive discharge.

By rank, the accused were 23 junior enlisted members, 25 NCOs, and 3 officers. The group was more senior than the rest of the Navy and Marine Corps.

## Changes From 2018

Cases fell from 55 to 51\. The contested share rose from 29% to 43%. Full acquittals went from 7 of 16 to 9 of 21\. Median confinement went from 7 months to 6 months. Convictions with confinement rose from 73% to 85%.

Punitive discharges for enlisted members went from 49% to 55%. General courts-martial went from 49% to 59% of cases. A few cases can change each figure in groups this size, so the changes show direction only.

|                                     | 2018     | 2019     |
| ----------------------------------- | -------- | -------- |
| Cases                               | 55       | 51       |
| Contested (of pleas recorded)       | 29%      | 43%      |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 7 of 16  | 9 of 21  |
| Convictions with confinement        | 73%      | 85%      |
| Median confinement                  | 7 months | 6 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted)       | 49%      | 55%      |
| General courts-martial              | 49%      | 59%      |

## San Diego, Bremerton, and the Limits of the Records

San Diego, California (51 cases) and Bremerton, Washington (47 cases) were closest in size. Both had much lower contested shares, 14% and 11%. Full acquittals came in 4 of 7 contested cases at San Diego and 4 of 5 at Bremerton. San Diego's punitive discharge rate was 71%, and Bremerton's was 38%, compared with 55% at Norfolk.

The records cover only courts-martial. They do not show offense dates, evidence, plea terms, nonjudicial punishment, administrative separation, or cases closed with no action.

| Installation          | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) |
| --------------------- | ----- | --------- | ----------------------------------- | ------------------ | ----------------------------- |
| Norfolk, Virginia     | 51    | 43%       | 9 of 21                             | 6 months           | 55%                           |
| San Diego, California | 51    | 14%       | 4 of 7                              | 7 months           | 71%                           |
| Bremerton, Washington | 47    | 11%       | 4 of 5                              | 3 months           | 38%                           |

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 2019 (51 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 2018](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/norfolk-virginia-courts-martial-2018/) (previous / next)
- [What Norfolk, Virginia Tried in 2020](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/norfolk-virginia-courts-martial-2020/) (previous / next)
- [What Was Tried at Norfolk, Virginia, 2019–2023? 205 Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/norfolk-virginia-courts-martial-2019-2023/) (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 2018](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/norfolk-virginia-courts-martial-2018/)Next: [What Norfolk, Virginia Tried in 2020](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/norfolk-virginia-courts-martial-2020/) →

**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.