Article 112a Cases at San Diego, California, 2024–2026: 24 Courts-Martial

Trends › By Installation › San Diego, California › Article 112a, 2024–2026

Based on 24 cases · 2024–2026 · Navy and Marine Corps records · data updated October 24, 2026

6 of 12 Contested Drug Cases Ended in Full Acquittal

A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. Of the 23 San Diego records that list a plea, 12 were contested and 11 were guilty pleas. The contested share was 52%. Across the rest of the Navy and Marine Corps, the contested share was 38%.

Of the 12 contested cases that reached a verdict, 6 ended in a full acquittal, meaning not guilty of every charge. There were 0 partial acquittals, where the accused is found not guilty of one charge but guilty of another. The 50% full-acquittal rate is higher than the 40% in all Navy and Marine Corps drug cases in 2024–2026.

There were only 12 contested cases. One verdict changes the rate by several points, so the rate shows direction, not a precise likelihood.

What the Acquittal Rate Can and Cannot Show

The full-acquittal rate at San Diego, 6 of 12, is higher than the Navy and Marine Corps rate for drug cases. The number of cases is small, and 1 verdict either way would change the rate.

The records do not describe the evidence, such as how a drug test was collected or challenged. They cannot show why any verdict was reached. They also do not show cases that were dropped before trial.

Sentences After Conviction

The 24 cases produced 17 convictions. Of those, 12 included confinement. The median confinement was 4 months, the same as the 4 months for Navy and Marine Corps drug cases service-wide. A quarter of the confinement sentences were 1.2 years or longer.

These are adjudged sentences, the sentence announced at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each sentence covers every charge in the case. A sentence in a case that also charged conspiracy or an orders violation reflects those convictions too.

Punitive Discharges Were More Common

For enlisted members, a punitive discharge is a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge. Of 16 enlisted members convicted, 10 received one (62%). That is more often than the 54% in Navy and Marine Corps drug cases overall. Of those 10, 4 were dishonorable discharges.

A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation. These records do not track administrative separations. They cannot show how often one followed a court-martial that imposed no punitive discharge.

Most Cases Charged Only the Drug Offense

Article 112a was the only charge in 15 of the 24 cases.

When other articles were charged, the most common was Article 81 (conspiracy), in 4 cases. Article 92 (orders violation) and Article 134 (the general article) were charged in 2 cases each. Article 86 (AWOL) and Article 90 (disobeying an officer) were charged in 1 case each.

Court Levels and Ranks

Of the cases with a court level listed, 5 were general courts-martial and 18 were special courts-martial. The general share was 22%, compared with 19% in Navy and Marine Corps drug cases overall. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence.

The accused were 13 junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) and 9 NCOs (E-5 to E-9). There were 0 officers or warrant officers. That mix is similar to Navy and Marine Corps drug cases overall, where 61% were junior enlisted.

Number of Cases by Year

The cases run from January 2024 to August 2026. There were 10 in 2024, 7 in 2025, and 7 so far in 2026, which is a partial year. Drug cases were 19% of the 126 courts-martial at San Diego in those years.

Law Changes and What the Records Cannot Show

Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel, not commanders, decide whether to prosecute covered offenses such as sexual assault, domestic violence, and murder. When every guilty finding is for an offense after December 27, 2023, the military judge sets the sentence within new sentencing parameters. Both rules depend on offense dates, which the records do not give. Trials in this period therefore mix old-rule and new-rule cases.

Trial records show charges, pleas, findings, and sentences. They do not show the evidence, such as test results, or the plea terms. They also do not show drug cases handled through nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation instead of a court-martial.

For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 112a on the law firm's website. Dates and sources for the law changes: UCMJ change timeline.

Compare: federal court. Federal Law Has No Crime of Drug Use: How Article 112a Cases Compare · Drug Distribution and Importation: Federal vs. Court-Martial Sentences, 2016–2025

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.