General Article Cases at Okinawa, Japan: 2017–2018 vs. 2019–2023
Okinawa, Japan tried 20 courts-martial charging Article 134, the general article, from 2019–2023. The median confinement was 2.2 years, compared with 1.5 years in Navy and Marine Corps Article 134 cases. Only 12% of cases with a plea recorded were contested, compared with 30% service-wide.
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Short answer: Okinawa, Japan tried 20 courts-martial charging Article 134, the general article, from 2019–2023. The median confinement was 2.2 years, compared with 1.5 years in Navy and Marine Corps Article 134 cases. Only 12% of cases with a plea recorded were contested, compared with 30% service-wide. In 2017–2018, the median confinement was 6 years.
Long Sentences, but Shorter Than Before
Of 20 convictions, 19 carried confinement. The median confinement was 2.2 years, higher than the 1.5 years across the Navy and Marine Corps. A quarter of the sentences were 4.2 years or longer.
15 of the 20 convictions (75%) carried more than one year, compared with 52% across the Navy and Marine Corps. Sentences of more than 1 year but under 5 years were 55% of convictions here, compared with 42% in Navy and Marine Corps Article 134 cases. Sentences of 5 years or more were 20%, compared with 10%. Shorter sentences were less common: 10% of convictions carried under 6 months, compared with 20%, and 5% carried no confinement, compared with 11%.
These are adjudged sentences, announced at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each one covers every charge in the case. Only a general court-martial can impose more than one year of confinement.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, Navy and Marine Corps Article 134 cases overall |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 1 | 5% | 11% |
| Under 6 months | 2 | 10% | 20% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 2 | 10% | 17% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 11 | 55% | 42% |
| 5 years or more | 4 | 20% | 10% |
Sex Offenses Among the Other Charges
Article 134 was the only charge in 8 of the 20 cases. In the rest of the Navy and Marine Corps, 125 of 346 Article 134 cases charged it alone. In the cases here with other charges, Article 128 (assault) and Article 120b (child sexual abuse) each appeared in 5 cases. Article 120 (sexual assault) appeared in 4. Article 120c (indecent recording and exposure) and Article 81 (conspiracy) appeared in 3 each.
A sentence covers all the charges in a case. For that reason, the long sentences above cannot be traced to the Article 134 charge alone.
A Punitive Discharge in Most Convictions
For an enlisted member, a punitive discharge is a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge. Of 20 enlisted members convicted, 18 received one (90%). That is more often than in the rest of the Navy and Marine Corps (74%). 13 of the 18 were dishonorable discharges. In 2017–2018, the rate was 100%.
Only a general court-martial can impose a dishonorable discharge, so all 13 came from general courts-martial. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out an administrative separation later.
General Courts-Martial and Junior Accused
17 of the 20 cases were tried by general court-martial (85%), compared with 72% in Navy and Marine Corps Article 134 cases overall. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including long confinement and a dishonorable discharge. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year.
Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 85% of the accused and NCOs made up 15%. No officers appear. In all Navy and Marine Corps Article 134 cases in 2019–2023, junior enlisted members were 61% of the accused.
Mostly Guilty Pleas
A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. 16 of the 20 records list a plea: 2 were not-guilty or mixed pleas and 14 were guilty pleas. That is 12% contested, compared with 30% in Navy and Marine Corps Article 134 cases.
With so few contested cases, 1 case more or fewer would change that rate by several points. Navy and Marine Corps records before December 2020 often omit the plea, so the rate uses only the records that list one.
Comparing 2017–2018 With 2019–2023
The earlier period is 2017–2018, the 2 years with cases on record. It had 14 cases, about 7 a year, compared with about 4 a year in 2019–2023, counting full years only. The later cases were tried from April 2019 to October 2023: 2 in 2019, 2 in 2020, 4 in 2021, 7 in 2022, and 5 in 2023. These cases were 20% of the 100 courts-martial at Okinawa in 2019–2023.
Median confinement went from 6 years to 2.2 years. Punitive discharges went from 100% to 90%. The general court-martial share went from 93% to 85%. Convictions with confinement were 93% in the earlier period and 95% in the later one. Small groups change with a few cases, so these figures show direction, not precise size.
| 2017–2018 | 2019–2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 14 | 20 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 0 of 1 | 12% |
| Convictions with confinement | 93% | 95% |
| Median confinement | 6 years | 2.2 years |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 100% | 90% |
| General courts-martial | 93% | 85% |
What the Records Cannot Show
Trial records show charges, pleas, findings, and sentences. They do not show the evidence, the plea terms, or offense dates. Only trial dates are recorded, so a case tried in one year may involve conduct from an earlier year. The period comparisons above sort cases by trial date. Conduct handled by nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation does not appear.
For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 134 on the law firm's website. Dates and sources for the law changes: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Courts-martial tried at Okinawa, Japan that charged Article 134 (found guilty, not guilty, or both): 2017–2018 (14) and 2019–2023 (20). Comparisons use every Navy and Marine Corps case charging Article 134 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
- Okinawa, Japan: Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- Article 134 (General Article): Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Installation (hub)
- Inside 70 Courts-Martial at Okinawa, Japan, 2017–2018 (the whole docket)
- Okinawa, Japan, 2019–2023: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 100 Cases (the whole docket)
- Inside 50 Courts-Martial at Okinawa, Japan, 2024–2026 (the whole docket)
- General Article Cases at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina: 2017–2018 vs. 2019–2023 (same offense, another installation)
- General Article Cases at Camp Pendleton, California: 2017–2018 vs. 2019–2023 (same offense, another installation)
- Is Navy-Marine Corps General Article Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 134, 2017–2025
- Article 134 explained on the law firm's website
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Military Judges Who Presided Over Article 134 Cases at Okinawa, Japan, 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.