Norfolk, Virginia in 2023: 29 Courts-Martial, Year in Review
Norfolk, Virginia tried 29 courts-martial in 2023, and 48% were contested, compared with 32% across the rest of the Navy and Marine Corps. Assault under Article 128 was charged in 41% of cases, compared with 26% service-wide.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Trends › By Installation › Norfolk, Virginia › 2023
Short answer: Norfolk, Virginia tried 29 courts-martial in 2023, and 48% were contested, compared with 32% across the rest of the Navy and Marine Corps. Assault under Article 128 was charged in 41% of cases, compared with 26% service-wide. Sexual assault under Article 120 was charged in 24%, compared with 11%.
48% of the Cases Were Contested
The pleas at Norfolk in 2023 were almost evenly split: 15 guilty pleas and 14 not-guilty or mixed pleas. A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. The 48% contested share here compares with 32% in the rest of the Navy and Marine Corps.
The contested share was different by court level. Of the 15 general courts-martial, 67% were contested. Of the 14 special courts-martial, 29% were contested.
Fewer Cases, More Violent Offenses
The records show 29 cases tried between February 2023 and December 2023, all with charge lists. Article 128 (assault) was charged in 12 (41%), compared with 26% across the Navy and Marine Corps. Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) was charged in 7 (24%), compared with 11%.
Several less common articles were each charged in 2 cases (7%), higher than the service rates. These were Article 133 (conduct unbecoming an officer), compared with 1%, Article 120c (other sexual misconduct), compared with 2%, and Article 90 (willfully disobeying a superior officer), compared with 2%. Drug charges under Article 112a were less common: 7%, compared with 13%. A case charging several articles counts once under each.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the whole Navy and Marine Corps docket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 128 Assault | 12 | 41% | 26% |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 7 | 24% | 11% |
| Art. 85 Desertion | 2 | 7% | 4% |
| Art. 120c Other sexual misconduct | 2 | 7% | 2% |
| Art. 90 Willfully disobeying superior officer | 2 | 7% | 2% |
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 2 | 7% | 13% |
| Art. 131b Obstructing justice | 2 | 7% | 5% |
| Art. 133 Conduct unbecoming an officer | 2 | 7% | 1% |
Verdicts in Contested Cases
Of 14 contested cases that reached a verdict, 5 ended in a full acquittal, a 36% full-acquittal rate. That is higher than the 22% across the Navy and Marine Corps. Another 4 ended in a partial acquittal: not guilty of at least one charge or specification, but guilty of another.
Many Convictions Without Confinement
Of 24 convictions, 15 included confinement. There was no confinement in 9 convictions (38%), compared with 21% across the Navy and Marine Corps. The median confinement was 6 months, the same as the 6 months service-wide. A quarter of sentences were 1.3 years or longer.
Sentences longer than one year were adjudged in 4 of 24 convictions (17%), compared with 23% service-wide. Sentences under 6 months made up 25% of convictions, lower than the 33% elsewhere. Another 1 conviction had a sentence of 5 years or more, the same as the 4% service share. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal, and they cover every charge in the case.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, the Navy and Marine Corps as a whole |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 9 | 38% | 21% |
| Under 6 months | 6 | 25% | 33% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 5 | 21% | 23% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 3 | 12% | 19% |
| 5 years or more | 1 | 4% | 4% |
Results by Court Level
General courts-martial, which can impose long confinement and a dishonorable discharge, made up 52% of cases (15 of 29). Their median confinement was 1.2 years. Special courts-martial are capped at one year of confinement and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. Their median was 2 months.
Punitive Discharges and Rank
A punitive discharge, either bad-conduct or dishonorable, followed 52% of enlisted convictions: 9 bad-conduct and 2 dishonorable. That compares with 63% across all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2023. None of the 3 convicted officers or warrant officers was dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
The accused were 12 junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4), 13 NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 4 officers or warrant officers. That is a more senior group than the Navy and Marine Corps as a whole, where 65% were junior enlisted.
Changes From 2022
Cases fell from 50 to 29. The contested share rose from 26% to 48%. Full acquittals were 5 in both years: 5 of 13, then 5 of 14. Median confinement rose from 3 months to 6 months. Convictions with confinement fell from 78% to 62%.
Punitive discharges for enlisted members fell from 64% to 52%. General courts-martial rose from 30% to 52% of cases. With groups this small, a few cases can change any figure, so these changes show direction only.
| 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 50 | 29 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 26% | 48% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 5 of 13 | 5 of 14 |
| Convictions with confinement | 78% | 62% |
| Median confinement | 3 months | 6 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 64% | 52% |
| General courts-martial | 30% | 52% |
San Diego and Camp Lejeune
San Diego, California (31 cases) and Camp Lejeune, North Carolina (32 cases) tried a similar number of cases. Norfolk had the highest contested share of the 3: 48%, compared with 37% and 38%. San Diego had 5 of 11 full acquittals, and Camp Lejeune had 1 of 10.
Norfolk and San Diego had the same 6-month median. Camp Lejeune's median was 5 months. Norfolk's 52% punitive discharge rate was the lowest of the 3, compared with 62% and 77%.
| Installation | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk, Virginia | 29 | 48% | 5 of 14 | 6 months | 52% |
| San Diego, California | 31 | 37% | 5 of 11 | 6 months | 62% |
| Camp Lejeune, North Carolina | 32 | 38% | 1 of 10 | 5 months | 77% |
What the Records Do Not Show
The records give trial dates, not offense dates. They do not describe the evidence or the plea terms. They do not include cases handled by 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 2023 (29 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)
- Norfolk, Virginia in 2022: 50 Courts-Martial, Year in Review (previous / next)
- What Norfolk, Virginia Tried in 2024 (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, 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.