General Article Cases at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii: 2013–2018 vs. 2019–2023
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii had 12 courts-martial charging Article 134 (general article) in 2019–2023, and 11 of them ended with a guilty plea. The contested share was 8%, compared with 30% in all Navy and Marine Corps Article 134 cases.
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Short answer: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii had 12 courts-martial charging Article 134 (general article) in 2019–2023, and 11 of them ended with a guilty plea. The contested share was 8%, compared with 30% in all Navy and Marine Corps Article 134 cases. The median confinement was 1 year, compared with 1.5 years service-wide and 1.6 years at Pearl Harbor in 2013–2018.
A Group Led by NCOs
Of the 12 accused, 8 were NCOs (E-5 to E-9), 3 were junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4), and 1 was an officer or warrant officer. This group was more senior than the Navy and Marine Corps as a whole, where 61% of those charged with Article 134 were junior enlisted members.
These 12 cases were 31% of the 39 courts-martial at Pearl Harbor in 2019–2023. By year, there were 2 cases in 2019, 0 in 2020, 0 in 2021, 6 in 2022, and 4 in 2023.
Guilty Pleas in 11 of 12 Cases
Of the 12 accused, 11 pleaded guilty and 1 contested. A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. The contested share, 8%, was lower than the 30% in all Navy and Marine Corps Article 134 cases in 2019–2023. In 2013–2018, the contested share at Pearl Harbor was 19%.
Confinement and Discharges
Confinement was part of 83% of the 12 convictions. The median confinement was 1 year, shorter than the 1.5 years median in all Navy and Marine Corps Article 134 cases. Among the sentences that included confinement, a quarter were 3 years or longer. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal.
A punitive discharge followed 73% of enlisted convictions: 5 bad-conduct discharges and 3 dishonorable discharges. That is about the same as the 74% service-wide. The 1 convicted officer was not dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
Fewer General Courts-Martial
General courts-martial heard 7 of the 12 cases (58%), compared with 72% in all Navy and Marine Corps Article 134 cases. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.
How 2019–2023 Compares With 2013–2018
The earlier period had 16 cases over 6 years, about 3 a year. The later period had about 4 a year, counting only full years with cases. General courts-martial went from 94% of cases to 58%. A punitive discharge followed 93% of enlisted convictions in the earlier period and 73% in the later one.
The median confinement went from 1.6 years to 1 year, and convictions with confinement went from 88% to 83%. These groups are small, and a few cases can change each figure. The changes show a direction only.
| 2013–2018 | 2019–2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 16 | 12 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 19% | 8% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 0 of 3 | 0 of 1 |
| Convictions with confinement | 88% | 83% |
| Median confinement | 1.6 years | 1 year |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 93% | 73% |
| General courts-martial | 94% | 58% |
Charges Filed With Article 134
Article 134 was the only charge in 7 of the 12 cases. Article 80 (attempt) and Article 120c (indecent recording and exposure) were each charged in 2 cases. Article 120 (sexual assault), Article 128 (assault), and Article 120b (child sexual abuse) were each charged in 1.
Limits of the Records
The records give trial dates, not offense dates. They do not describe the evidence or the plea terms, and they leave out nonjudicial punishment and administrative separations. Navy and Marine Corps records before December 2020 often omit the plea, so plea counts use only the records that list one.
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 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii that charged Article 134 (found guilty, not guilty, or both): 2013–2018 (16) and 2019–2023 (12). 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
- Pearl Harbor, Hawaii: Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- Article 134 (General Article): Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Installation (hub)
- What Was Tried at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 2013–2018? 83 Courts-Martial (the whole docket)
- Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 2019–2023: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 39 Cases (the whole docket)
- What Was Tried at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 2024–2026? 25 Courts-Martial (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 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 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.