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
Eglin AFB, Florida: Court-Martial Data and Trends
Analysis of the 45 courts-martial tried at Eglin AFB, Florida in the Air Force records (2016–2026).
Cannon AFB, New Mexico: Court-Martial Data and Trends
Analysis of the 55 courts-martial tried at Cannon AFB, New Mexico in the Air Force records (2016–2026).
Aviano AB, Italy: Court-Martial Data and Trends
Analysis of the 47 courts-martial tried at Aviano AB, Italy in the Air Force records (2016–2026).
Andersen AFB, Guam: Court-Martial Data and Trends
Analysis of the 28 courts-martial tried at Andersen AFB, Guam in the Air Force records (2016–2025).
Army, Air Force, or Navy-Marine Corps: How Article 117a Cases Compare, 2021–2025
From 2021 to 2025, 57 courts-martial in the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps charged Article 117a (intimate image). Only 21% of these cases were contested, compared with 35% of all courts-martial in those years.
Who Prosecuted Contested Army Article 93 Cases? Trial Counsel Experience, 2023–2025
In 10 of the 13 contested Army maltreatment cases (Article 93) tried from 2023 to 2025, a trial counsel of record is listed, and the most experienced prosecutor had a median of 10.5 prior cases in this data.
Army Defense Counsel in Contested Article 93 Cases: Prior Cases and Verdicts, 2023–2025
Of 13 contested Army courts-martial charging Article 93 (maltreatment) from 2023 to 2025, 7 ended in a full acquittal (54%), compared with 40% for all contested Army cases in those years.
Army Trial Counsel in Contested Article 119b Cases: Prior Cases and Verdicts, 2023–2026
Across 18 contested Army courts-martial charging Article 119b (child endangerment) from 2023–2026, 16 list a trial counsel of record, and the most experienced prosecutor on each team had a median of 9.5 prior cases in this data.
Who Defended Contested Army Article 119b Cases? Defense Counsel Experience, 2023–2026
The Army records hold 18 contested courts-martial from 2023–2026 that charged Article 119b (child endangerment). 3 of the 18 ended in a full acquittal (17%), compared with 40% in all contested Army cases in those years.
Who Prosecuted Contested Army Article 133 Cases? Trial Counsel Experience, 2023–2025
The Army tried 14 contested courts-martial charging Article 133 (conduct unbecoming) between 2023 and 2025, and 11 of them list a trial counsel of record. The most experienced prosecutor on those teams had a median of 10 prior cases in this data.
Army Defense Counsel in Contested Article 133 Cases: Prior Cases and Verdicts, 2023–2025
Only 1 of the 14 contested Army courts-martial charging Article 133 (conduct unbecoming) from 2023 to 2025 ended in a full acquittal (7%). Across all contested Army cases in those years, the rate was 40%.
Who Prosecuted Contested Army Article 120c Cases? Trial Counsel Experience, 2023–2026
The Army tried 17 contested courts-martial charging Article 120c (indecent recording and exposure) from 2023 to 2026, and 7 of them ended in a full acquittal (41%). That is about the same as the 40% rate for all contested Army cases in those years.
Go deeper: Military Trial Results (every case, members) · Know Your Judge · Learn Your Lawyer (free)
Get the free newsletter.
Clips, audiograms and the opening of every issue, free.