Military Trial Results · Analysis
Understanding Trends in Military Practice
Analysis of real court-martial records: what gets charged, how cases end, what sentences look like, how experienced the lawyers of record were, and what changed when the law did.
Every number is computed from the Military Trial Results data, built from the services' public court-martial records. Each post says how many cases it rests on, the years covered, and how we counted. Read how this data was built before citing it.
Browse the Analysis
- By InstallationBases and regions, by time period
- By OffenseUCMJ articles, rising and falling charges
- By ServiceArmy, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps
- By YearWhat each year and month looked like
- SentencesConfinement, discharges, judge alone vs. members
- Counsel ExperiencePrior cases of the lawyers of record
- Law ChangesBefore and after the major reforms
- Episode CompanionsThe numbers behind podcast episodes
Federal Prosecution Analysis
How do federal prosecutions compare with courts-martial? These posts use the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of everyone sentenced in federal court and the Federal Judicial Center's records of every federal defendant whose case ended, including dismissals and acquittals, for fiscal years 2016 to 2025. They cover sentences, guilty pleas, trials and acquittals, mandatory minimums, and supervised release, offense by offense. Where a federal crime has a close counterpart in the UCMJ, the post sets the two side by side. Where it doesn't, the post reports the federal numbers on their own. For how military law has moved toward the federal system, start with Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System.
Latest Analysis
Manslaughter: Federal Sentences vs. Marine Corps Courts-Martial
The Marine Corps had 11 courts-martial that ended in a manslaughter conviction under Article 119, with trial dates from 2018 to 2025. The median confinement was 62.5 months (5.2 years). In federal court, the median prison term for 737 people sentenced for manslaughter in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 wa
Manslaughter: Federal Sentences vs. Army Courts-Martial
Army courts-martial produced 12 manslaughter convictions under Article 119 with trial dates from 2021 to 2025, and every one included confinement. The median adjudged confinement was 69 months. In federal court, the median prison term was 63 months for 737 people sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 20
Manslaughter Sentences: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial, 2016–2025
The median adjudged confinement for manslaughter convictions at courts-martial was 60 months, based on 38 convictions under Article 119 with trial dates from 2016 to 2025. In federal court, the median prison term was 63 months, based on 737 people sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. The medians
Murder Convictions of NCOs (E-5 to E-9): Courts-Martial Compared With Federal Court
Courts-martial convicted 11 NCOs (E-5 to E-9) of murder under Article 118, with trial dates from 2016 to 2025. The median adjudged confinement was 119.9 months (10 years). In federal court, the median prison term for 3,243 people sentenced for murder in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 was 292 months (24.3
Murder Convictions of Junior Enlisted (E-1 to E-4): Courts-Martial Compared With Federal Court
Courts-martial convicted 26 junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) of murder under Article 118, with trial dates from 2016 to 2025. The median adjudged confinement was 206.9 months (17.2 years), and all 26 received confinement. In federal court, the median prison term for 3,243 people sentenced for mu
Murder: Federal Sentences vs. Navy Courts-Martial, 2016–2025
The Navy had 12 courts-martial that ended in a murder conviction under Article 118, with trial dates from 2016 to 2025. The median adjudged confinement was 95.9 months (8 years). In federal court, the median prison term for 3,243 people sentenced for murder in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 was 292 month
Murder: Federal Sentences vs. Air Force Courts-Martial
The Air Force had 10 courts-martial that ended in a murder conviction under Article 118, with trial dates from 2016 to 2022. The median adjudged confinement was 287.8 months (24 years). In federal court, the median prison term for 3,243 people sentenced for murder in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 was 29
Murder: Federal Sentences vs. Army Courts-Martial
The Army had 14 courts-martial that ended in a murder conviction under Article 118, with trial dates from 2020 to 2025. All 14 included confinement, and the median was 215.9 months (18 years). In federal court, the median prison term for 3,243 people sentenced for murder in fiscal years 2016 to 2025
Murder Sentences: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial, 2016–2025
The median prison term for people sentenced in federal court for murder was 292 months (24.3 years), in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. The median adjudged confinement for 40 murder convictions under Article 118 in courts-martial with trial dates from 2016 to 2025 was 198 months (16.5 years). The federal
False Claims Against the United States Sentences: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial, 2016–2025
Courts-martial recorded 17 convictions for frauds against the United States, the military counterpart of federal false claims under 18 U.S.C. 287. Confinement was part of the sentence in 9 of 17 (53%), and the median was 3.9 months. In federal court, 437 people were sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to
Child Sexual Abuse and Enticement Sentences Since the 2023 Military Sentencing Reform: What the Data Shows So Far
Court-martial convictions for sexual offenses against a child had a median confinement of 35.5 months for trials in 2022 and 2023 and 66 months for trials in 2024 and 2025. The federal median prison term was 120 months for fiscal years 2022 and 2023 and 121 months for fiscal years 2024 and 2025. It
Child Sexual Abuse and Enticement Convictions of Officers and Warrant Officers: Courts-Martial Compared With Federal Court
Officers and warrant officers convicted by court-martial of sexual offenses against a child had a median adjudged confinement of 149.8 months (12.5 years) in the records. That is higher than the all-ranks median of 36 months and higher than the federal median prison term of 120 months (10 years). Th
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