What Changed at RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom After 2024? 23 Cases vs. 15
RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom tried 15 courts-martial from 2024 to 2026, compared with 23 in 2019–2023. The contested share went from 87% to 36%, and general courts-martial went from 87% of cases to 40%.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 5 min read
Trends › By Installation › RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom › Before and after 2024
Short answer: RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom tried 15 courts-martial from 2024 to 2026, compared with 23 in 2019–2023. The contested share went from 87% to 36%, and general courts-martial went from 87% of cases to 40%. Article 134 (general article) appeared in 46% of the cases with charges listed, compared with 24% across the Air Force.
Fewer Contested Cases
14 of the 15 records list the plea: 9 guilty pleas and 5 not-guilty or mixed pleas. A contested case is one where the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. The contested share was 36%, compared with 43% in the rest of the Air Force and 87% at Lakenheath in 2019–2023.
Of 5 contested cases that reached a verdict, 1 ended in a full acquittal. In 2019–2023 the count was 5 of 12.
2019–2023 Compared With 2024–2026
The earlier period had 23 cases over the 5 years with cases on record, about 5 a year. Since 2024 the pace has been about 4 a year, counting full years only. Lakenheath tried 5 cases in 2024, 4 in 2025, and 6 so far in 2026.
The median confinement went from 9 months to 6 months. Punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members went from 75% to 62%. Convictions with confinement were 92% in the earlier period and 93% in the later one. Small groups can shift with a few cases, so these changes show direction only.
| 2019–2023 | 2024–2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 23 | 15 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 87% | 36% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 5 of 12 | 1 of 5 |
| Convictions with confinement | 92% | 93% |
| Median confinement | 9 months | 6 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 75% | 62% |
| General courts-martial | 87% | 40% |
Charges
13 of the 15 records list the charges, and a case can appear under several articles. Article 134 (general article) appeared in 6 cases (46%). Article 112a (wrongful use, possession of controlled substances) appeared in 31%, compared with 20% Air Force-wide. Article 128 (assault) and Article 92 (failure to obey order or regulation) each appeared in 23%.
Article 87a (resistance, flight, breach of arrest) and Article 91 (insubordinate conduct toward NCO) each appeared in 15% of cases, compared with 1% across the Air Force.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, Air Force-wide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 134 General article | 6 | 46% | 24% |
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 4 | 31% | 20% |
| Art. 128 Assault | 3 | 23% | 13% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 3 | 23% | 16% |
| Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child | 2 | 15% | 9% |
| Art. 87a Resistance, flight, breach of arrest | 2 | 15% | 1% |
| Art. 91 Insubordinate conduct toward NCO | 2 | 15% | 1% |
| Art. 112 Drunkenness and other incapacitation | 1 | 8% | 1% |
Sentences and Discharges
Of 14 convictions, 13 included confinement. The median confinement was 6 months, the same as Air Force-wide. A quarter of the sentences with confinement were 2 years or longer. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal.
8 of 13 convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge: 5 bad-conduct and 3 dishonorable. The share in the rest of the Air Force was also 62%. 1 convicted officer or warrant officer appears, and that officer was dismissed.
Forum, Rank, and Court Level
Members heard 27% of the cases with the forum listed: 3 enlisted panels and 1 officer panel. A military judge alone decided the other 11.
Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 53% of the accused, NCOs 33%, and officers 13%. Across the Air Force, junior enlisted were 58%. General courts-martial made up 40% of the cases (6 of 15). A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.
Ramstein and McConnell
Ramstein AB, Germany tried 20 Air Force cases and McConnell AFB, Kansas tried 21 in the same years. The contested share was 59% at Ramstein and 21% at McConnell. The median confinement was 9 months at Ramstein and 3 months at McConnell.
| Installation | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom | 15 | 36% | 1 of 5 | 6 months | 62% |
| Ramstein AB, Germany | 20 | 59% | 3 of 10 | 9 months | 65% |
| McConnell AFB, Kansas | 21 | 21% | 1 of 3 | 3 months | 44% |
What the Records Cannot Show
Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel decide whether to prosecute covered offenses, and new sentencing parameters apply to offenses after December 27, 2023. Without offense dates, the records cannot show which cases fell under the new rules. They also do not show evidence, plea terms, nonjudicial punishment, or administrative separations.
Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Every court-martial tried at RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom in 2019–2023 (23) and 2024–2026 (15).
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
- RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom: Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Installation (hub)
- RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom, 2019–2023: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 23 Cases
- RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom Courts-Martial, 2024–2026: What 15 Cases Show
- What Changed at RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom After 2019? 11 Cases vs. 23
- Andersen AFB, Guam Before and After 2019: How Its Courts-Martial Changed
- Aviano AB, Italy, 2016–2018 vs. 2019–2023: A Side-by-Side Look
- Aviano AB, Italy, 2019–2023 vs. 2024–2026: A Side-by-Side Look
- Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, 2016–2018 vs. 2019–2023: A Side-by-Side Look
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Military Judges Who Presided Over Cases at RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom, 2024–2026
- Jeremy L. Mooney
- Christine L. Norton
- Sterling C. Pendleton
- Lance R. Smith
- Brian Michael Thompson
- Ja Rai Antoinette Williams
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.