General Article Cases at Okinawa, Japan: 2019–2023 vs. 2024–2026
Of 14 Article 134 (general article) courts-martial at Okinawa, Japan in 2024–2026, 13 ended with a guilty plea, so only 7% were contested, compared with 29% in all Navy and Marine Corps Article 134 cases in those years.
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Short answer: Of 14 Article 134 (general article) courts-martial at Okinawa, Japan in 2024–2026, 13 ended with a guilty plea, so only 7% were contested, compared with 29% in all Navy and Marine Corps Article 134 cases in those years. The median confinement was 1.3 years, compared with 1.5 years service-wide, and 79% of convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge.
Nearly Every Accused Pleaded Guilty
Of the 14 accused, 13 pleaded guilty and 1 contested at least one charge. A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. The contested share was 7%. In all Navy and Marine Corps Article 134 cases in 2024–2026, it was 29%.
In 2019–2023, 12% of Okinawa Article 134 cases with a plea recorded were contested. No contested case in either period ended in a full acquittal: 0 of 2 before and 0 of 1 since.
Punitive Discharges for 11 of 14
All 14 accused were enlisted members, and all 14 were convicted. Of them, 11 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (79%), and 8 of those were dishonorable. Across Navy and Marine Corps Article 134 cases, the share was 75%.
In 2019–2023, the share at Okinawa was 90%. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
How Much Confinement Followed
Confinement was part of 13 of the 14 sentences (93%). The median confinement was 1.3 years, shorter than the 1.5 years median for all Navy and Marine Corps Article 134 cases. Among the sentences that included confinement, a quarter were 1.7 years or longer.
These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each one covers every charge in the case.
2019–2023 Compared With 2024–2026
The earlier period had 20 Article 134 cases over 5 years, about 4 a year. Since 2024 there have been about 6 a year, counting full years only: 7 in 2024 and 6 in 2025, with 1 so far in 2026. The 2026 count is a partial year.
The median confinement went from 2.2 years to 1.3 years. General courts-martial went from 85% of cases to 64%. Convictions with confinement were 95% and then 93%. With 20 and 14 cases, a few cases can move each figure, so the changes show a direction only.
| 2019–2023 | 2024–2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 20 | 14 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 12% | 7% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 0 of 2 | 0 of 1 |
| Convictions with confinement | 95% | 93% |
| Median confinement | 2.2 years | 1.3 years |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 90% | 79% |
| General courts-martial | 85% | 64% |
Most Cases Charged Article 134 Alone
Article 134 was the only charge in 8 of the 14 cases. Article 92 (orders violation) and Article 128 (assault) were each charged in 2 cases. Article 107 (false official statement) and Article 80 (attempt) were each charged in 1.
Article 134 covers many separate offenses, so the charge label alone does not show the conduct involved.
A Younger Group of Accused
Of the 14 accused, 11 were junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4), 3 were NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 0 were officers. In all Navy and Marine Corps Article 134 cases in 2024–2026, junior enlisted members were 63% of the accused.
General courts-martial heard 9 cases and special courts-martial heard 5. The general share, 64%, was the same as in Navy and Marine Corps Article 134 cases overall. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. These 14 cases were 28% of the 50 courts-martial at Okinawa in 2024–2026.
Law Changes and Record Limits
Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel, not commanders, decide whether to prosecute covered offenses such as sexual assault, domestic violence, and murder. Offenses after December 27, 2023 are also sentenced by the military judge under new sentencing parameters. Both rules depend on the offense date, which the records do not give, so trials since 2024 include cases under both the old and new rules.
The records cover courts-martial only. They do not show nonjudicial punishment, administrative separations, the evidence, or the plea terms.
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): 2019–2023 (20) and 2024–2026 (14). Comparisons use every Navy and Marine Corps case charging Article 134 in 2024–2026.
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, 2024–2026
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.