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# Parris Island, South Carolina Before and After 2019: How Its Courts-Martial Changed
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/parris-island-south-carolina-before-after-2019/
- Published: 2026-10-28T06:52:23.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-30T08:06:37.000Z
- Description: Parris Island, South Carolina tried 44 courts-martial in 2019–2023, against 20 in 2017–2018. The median confinement in 2019–2023 was 11 months, compared with 6 months across the Navy and Marine Corps.
- Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart
- Tags: Understanding Trends, Parris Island, South Carolina, Navy-Marine Corps

[Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [By Installation](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-installation/) › [Parris Island, South Carolina](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-at-parris-island-south-carolina/) › Before and after 2019

**Short answer:** Parris Island, South Carolina tried 44 courts-martial in 2019–2023, against 20 in 2017–2018\. The median confinement in 2019–2023 was 11 months, compared with 6 months across the Navy and Marine Corps. 82% of convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge, compared with 63% in the earlier period.

Based on 44 cases · 2019–2023 · Navy and Marine Corps records · data updated October 24, 2026

## Longer Sentences Than the Service Median

83% of the 41 convictions at Parris Island from 2019 through 2023 included confinement. The median confinement was 11 months, compared with 6 months across the Navy and Marine Corps. A quarter of the sentences were 1.6 years or longer.

The largest difference is in sentences of 6 months to 1 year. They were 37% of convictions here, compared with 24% elsewhere in the Navy and Marine Corps. Sentences under 6 months were 20%, compared with 35%. 11 of 41 convictions (27%) carried more than one year, about the same as the 24% service-wide. These are adjudged sentences, announced at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each one covers every charge in a case.

| Adjudged confinement            | Convictions | Share here | Share, the rest of the Navy and Marine Corps |
| ------------------------------- | ----------- | ---------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| No confinement                  | 7           | 17%        | 17%                                          |
| Under 6 months                  | 8           | 20%        | 35%                                          |
| 6 months to 1 year              | 15          | 37%        | 24%                                          |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 9           | 22%        | 19%                                          |
| 5 years or more                 | 2           | 5%         | 5%                                           |

## How the Recent Years Compare With 2017–2018

The records show 20 Parris Island cases from 2017–2018, about 10 a year. They show 44 from 2019–2023, about 9 a year, counting full years. The number changed from year to year: 7 in 2019, 14 in 2020, 6 in 2021, 4 in 2022, and 13 in 2023.

Median confinement went from 2 years in the earlier period to 11 months. The share of convicted enlisted members receiving a punitive discharge went from 63% to 82%. Convictions with confinement went from 80% to 83%. General courts-martial went from 50% to 45% of cases. With groups this small, a few cases can change a figure, so these changes show direction, not precise size.

|                               | 2017–2018 | 2019–2023 |
| ----------------------------- | --------- | --------- |
| Cases                         | 20        | 44        |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 0 of 1    | 30%       |
| Convictions with confinement  | 80%       | 83%       |
| Median confinement            | 2 years   | 11 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 63%       | 82%       |
| General courts-martial        | 50%       | 45%       |

## Most Convictions Included a Punitive Discharge

Of 40 convicted enlisted members, 33 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (82%), compared with 63% in the rest of the Navy and Marine Corps. 7 of the 33 were dishonorable discharges. A dishonorable discharge is the more severe punitive discharge, and only a general court-martial can impose it.

No officers or warrant officers appear among the accused. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation. Those separations are not in these records.

## Orders, Larceny, and False Statements

Charge lists exist for 41 of the 44 cases. Article 92 (orders violation) was the most common charge, in 34% of cases, compared with 18% service-wide. Article 121 (larceny) appeared in 20%, compared with 9%. Article 107 (false official statements) appeared in 17%, compared with 8%. Article 131b (obstructing justice) appeared in 12%, compared with 6%.

Article 128 (assault) was less common: 22% of cases here, compared with 31% across the Navy and Marine Corps. Article 112a (drug offenses) appeared in 29% and Article 134, the general article, in 24%. A case with several articles counts under each one.

| UCMJ Article                                                                                                                                       | Cases | Share here | Share, all Navy and Marine Corps cases in those years |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | ---------- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| [Art. 92](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-92/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Failure to obey order or regulation         | 14    | 34%        | 18%                                                   |
| [Art. 112a](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-112a-drug-offenses/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 12    | 29%        | 25%                                                   |
| [Art. 134](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-134/?ref=bodiesburied.com) General article                           | 10    | 24%        | 18%                                                   |
| [Art. 128](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-128/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Assault                                   | 9     | 22%        | 31%                                                   |
| [Art. 121](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-121/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Larceny                                   | 8     | 20%        | 9%                                                    |
| [Art. 120](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-120-sexual-assault/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Rape and sexual assault                            | 7     | 17%        | 14%                                                   |
| [Art. 107](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-107/?ref=bodiesburied.com) False official statements                 | 7     | 17%        | 8%                                                    |
| Art. 131b Obstructing justice                                                                                                                      | 5     | 12%        | 6%                                                    |

## Convictions on the Most Common Charges

Every case charging one of the leading articles ended in a conviction on that article: 14 of 14 for Article 92, 12 of 12 for Article 112a, 10 of 10 for Article 134, and 9 of 9 for Article 128.

The median confinement after those convictions was 10 months for Article 128, 11 months for Article 92, 1 year for Article 134, and 1.3 years for Article 112a. A case often includes several charges, so the sentence on one row covers the whole case, not only that article.

| Article                                                     | Cases charging it | Convicted of it (share) | Median confinement when convicted of it |
| ----------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------- | ----------------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation                 | 14                | 14 (100%)               | 11 months                               |
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 12                | 12 (100%)               | 1.3 years                               |
| Art. 134 General article                                    | 10                | 10 (100%)               | 1 year                                  |
| Art. 128 Assault                                            | 9                 | 9 (9 of 9)              | 10 months                               |

## Pleas Where They Were Recorded

Only 20 of the 44 records list a plea, because Navy and Marine Corps records before December 2020 often omit it. Of those 20, 14 accused pleaded guilty and 6 contested at least one charge. A contested case is one with a not-guilty or mixed plea.

That is 30% contested, about the same as the 31% for the Navy and Marine Corps as a whole. 0 of the 6 contested cases that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal.

## Court Level and the Rank of the Accused

General courts-martial tried 20 cases (45%), about the same as the 44% service-wide. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence. Special courts-martial tried 24 cases. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. In general courts-martial, 95% of convictions included confinement, with a median of 1.6 years. In special courts-martial, 73% did, with a median of 7 months.

The accused were 26 junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) and 14 NCOs (E-5 to E-9). That mix is similar to the Navy and Marine Corps overall, where 64% were junior enlisted.

## Compared With Miramar and Pensacola

MCAS Miramar, California (42 cases) and Pensacola, Florida (42) tried a similar number of cases in the same years. Parris Island had the longest median confinement of the 3: 11 months, compared with 6 months at Miramar and 3 months at Pensacola. It also had the highest punitive discharge rate: 82%, compared with 66% and 56%. Pensacola had the highest contested share, 59%, and 14 of its 24 contested cases that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal.

| Installation                  | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) |
| ----------------------------- | ----- | --------- | ----------------------------------- | ------------------ | ----------------------------- |
| Parris Island, South Carolina | 44    | 30%       | 0 of 6                              | 11 months          | 82%                           |
| MCAS Miramar, California      | 42    | 30%       | 0 of 6                              | 6 months           | 66%                           |
| Pensacola, Florida            | 42    | 59%       | 14 of 24                            | 3 months           | 56%                           |

## What the Records Cannot Show

Trial records list charges, pleas, findings, and sentences. They do not show the evidence or any plea terms. They do not include conduct handled outside a court-martial, such as nonjudicial punishment. They give trial dates, not offense dates.

Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: [UCMJ change timeline](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/ucmj-change-timeline/).

### How We Counted

Every court-martial tried at Parris Island, South Carolina in 2017–2018 (20) and 2019–2023 (44).

Source: public court-martial records (Article 140a, UCMJ) in [Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/), data updated October 24, 2026\. Definitions, sources, and known gaps: [how this data was built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/how-the-military-trial-results-data-was-built/). Errors: content@bodiesburied.com.

## Related Analysis

- [Parris Island, South Carolina: Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-at-parris-island-south-carolina/) (hub)
- [By Installation](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-installation/) (hub)
- [Inside 44 Courts-Martial at Parris Island, South Carolina, 2019–2023](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/parris-island-south-carolina-courts-martial-2019-2023/)
- [Parris Island, South Carolina, 2017–2018: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 20 Cases](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/parris-island-south-carolina-courts-martial-2017-2018/)
- [Parris Island, South Carolina, 2024–2026: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 17 Cases](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/parris-island-south-carolina-courts-martial-2024-2026/)
- [Parris Island, South Carolina Before and After 2024: How Its Courts-Martial Changed](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/parris-island-south-carolina-before-after-2024/)
- [Bremerton, Washington Before and After 2019: How Its Courts-Martial Changed](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/bremerton-washington-before-after-2019/)
- [Bremerton, Washington Before and After 2024: How Its Courts-Martial Changed](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/bremerton-washington-before-after-2024/)
- [Great Lakes, Illinois Before and After 2019: How Its Courts-Martial Changed](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/great-lakes-illinois-before-after-2019/)
- [Search every case in Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/) (members)

## Military Judges Who Presided Over Cases at Parris Island, South Carolina, 2019–2023

- [Eric Catto](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-eric-catto/)
- [Nicholas Henry](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-nicholas-henry/)
- [Ryan Lipton](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-ryan-lipton/)
- [Benjamin Robertson](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-benjamin-robertson/)
- [Adam Workman](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-adam-workman/)

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](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judges/) 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](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/?ref=bodiesburied.com). This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.