What Norfolk, Virginia Tried in 2021
Norfolk, Virginia tried 46 courts-martial in 2021. Full acquittals came in 46% of contested cases that reached a verdict (6 of 13), compared with 26% across the Navy and Marine Corps. The median confinement after a conviction was 5 months, shorter than the 7 months service-wide.
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Trends › By Installation › Norfolk, Virginia › 2021
Short answer: Norfolk, Virginia tried 46 courts-martial in 2021. Full acquittals came in 46% of contested cases that reached a verdict (6 of 13), compared with 26% across the Navy and Marine Corps. The median confinement after a conviction was 5 months, shorter than the 7 months service-wide.
Many Contested Cases Ended in a Full Acquittal
Few cases at Norfolk were contested in 2021, but many of those that were ended in a full acquittal. Of 13 contested cases that reached a verdict, 6 ended in a full acquittal. That 46% full-acquittal rate is higher than the 26% across the Navy and Marine Corps.
Another 5 ended in a partial acquittal, meaning the accused was found not guilty of at least one charge or specification and guilty of another. A case counts as contested when the accused enters a not-guilty or mixed plea.
Desertion and Conspiracy Were Charged More Often
All 46 records list charges. Article 85 (desertion) was charged in 5 cases: 11%, compared with 2% in all Navy and Marine Corps cases that year. Article 81 (conspiracy) was charged in 9 cases: 20%, compared with 11%. Article 112a drug offenses were the most common charge, in 33% of cases, compared with 25%.
Charges common elsewhere were less frequent here. Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) was charged in 11% of cases, compared with 19%. Article 128 (assault) was charged in 26%, compared with 32%. Each article counts once per case.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the whole Navy and Marine Corps docket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 15 | 33% | 25% |
| Art. 128 Assault | 12 | 26% | 32% |
| Art. 134 General article | 11 | 24% | 26% |
| Art. 81 Conspiracy | 9 | 20% | 11% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 8 | 17% | 21% |
| Art. 85 Desertion | 5 | 11% | 2% |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 5 | 11% | 19% |
| Art. 80 Attempts | 5 | 11% | 13% |
Short Sentences and Many Without Confinement
Of 40 convictions, 30 included confinement. The median confinement was 5 months. A quarter of sentences were 9 months or longer. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal, and they cover every charge in the case.
There was no confinement in 10 convictions (25%), compared with 15% service-wide. Sentences under 6 months made up 42%, compared with 33%. Only 4 of 40 convictions (10%) included more than one year, compared with 26% across the Navy and Marine Corps.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, the whole Navy and Marine Corps docket |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 10 | 25% | 15% |
| Under 6 months | 17 | 42% | 33% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 9 | 22% | 26% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 3 | 8% | 21% |
| 5 years or more | 1 | 2% | 5% |
Results by Charge
Conspiracy charges under Article 81 ended in a conviction on that article in 9 of 9 cases. The general article, Article 134, ended in a conviction in 10 of 11 (91%). Drug charges ended in a conviction in 13 of 15 (87%), with a median confinement of 4 months.
Assault had the lowest conviction rate among the top charges, 9 of 12 (75%), and the shortest median confinement, 45 days. Article 81 and Article 134 convictions each had a 6-month median. 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. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 15 | 13 (87%) | 4 months |
| Art. 128 Assault | 12 | 9 (75%) | 45 days |
| Art. 134 General article | 11 | 10 (91%) | 6 months |
| Art. 81 Conspiracy | 9 | 9 (9 of 9) | 6 months |
Guilty Pleas by Charge
The plea is listed in 45 of 46 records: 32 guilty pleas and 13 contested cases. The contested share, 29%, was lower than the 32% across all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2021.
Drug cases ended in a guilty plea 71% of the time (10 of 14), the most among the top charges. Assault cases ended in a guilty plea 58% of the time (7 of 12). The records do not say why an accused pleaded guilty or not guilty.
Most Cases Were Special Courts-Martial
There were 16 general and 30 special courts-martial. The general court-martial share, 35%, compares with 48% across the Navy and Marine Corps. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.
At general courts-martial, 92% of convictions included confinement, with a 10-month median. At special courts-martial, 68% did, with a median of 3 months.
Punitive Discharges and Rank
A punitive discharge followed 65% of enlisted convictions: 22 bad-conduct and 2 dishonorable. The Navy and Marine Corps rate was 64%. Of 2 convicted officers or warrant officers, 1 was dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
The accused were 26 junior enlisted members, 16 NCOs, and 3 officers. The group was more senior than the rest of the Navy and Marine Corps.
Changes Since 2020
Cases rose from 29 to 46. The contested share was about the same, at 31% and 29%. Full acquittals went from 4 of 9 to 6 of 13. Median confinement fell from 8 months to 5 months. Convictions with confinement fell from 88% to 75%. General courts-martial fell from 52% to 35% of cases. Small groups change with a few cases, so these figures show direction only.
| 2020 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 29 | 46 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 31% | 29% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 4 of 9 | 6 of 13 |
| Convictions with confinement | 88% | 75% |
| Median confinement | 8 months | 5 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 72% | 65% |
| General courts-martial | 52% | 35% |
Comparable Installations in California
At San Diego, California (37 cases), 38% of cases were contested, and the punitive discharge rate was 41%. At Camp Pendleton, California (60 cases), 16% were contested, full acquittals came in 0 of 9, and the median confinement was 7 months. Norfolk's 65% punitive discharge rate was the same as Camp Pendleton's. Its 5-month median was the shortest of the 3.
| Installation | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk, Virginia | 46 | 29% | 6 of 13 | 5 months | 65% |
| San Diego, California | 37 | 38% | 5 of 14 | 6 months | 41% |
| Camp Pendleton, California | 60 | 16% | 0 of 9 | 7 months | 65% |
What the Records Do Not Show
Trial records list the charges, pleas, findings, and sentence. They do not show offense dates, the evidence, the plea terms, or conduct handled through nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation.
Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Every court-martial tried at Norfolk, Virginia with a trial date in 2021 (46 cases).
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)
- By Year (hub)
- What Norfolk, Virginia Tried in 2020 (previous / next)
- Norfolk, Virginia in 2022: 50 Courts-Martial, Year in Review (previous / next)
- What Was Tried at Norfolk, Virginia, 2019–2023? 205 Courts-Martial (the whole period)
- A Year of Courts-Martial at Bremerton, Washington: 2015
- A Year of Courts-Martial at Bremerton, Washington: 2017
- A Year of Courts-Martial at Bremerton, Washington: 2018
- A Year of Courts-Martial at Bremerton, Washington: 2020
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Military Judges Who Presided Over Cases at Norfolk, Virginia, 2021
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.