Drug Cases at San Diego, California: 2013–2018 vs. 2019–2023
San Diego, California tried 38 courts-martial charging Article 112a, the drug article, in 2019–2023, compared with 85 in 2013–2018. In the later period, 43% of convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Trends › By Installation › San Diego, California › Article 112a
Short answer: San Diego, California tried 38 courts-martial charging Article 112a, the drug article, in 2019–2023, compared with 85 in 2013–2018. In the later period, 43% of convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge. That is lower than 68% in the earlier period and lower than 64% in Navy and Marine Corps Article 112a cases overall. The median confinement was 4 months.
Punitive Discharges Were Less Common After 2019
For an enlisted member, a punitive discharge is a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge. In 2013–2018, 68% of enlisted members convicted in these drug cases received one. In 2019–2023, 43% did.
Of 35 enlisted members convicted in the later period, 15 received a punitive discharge, and 2 of those were dishonorable. Across Navy and Marine Corps Article 112a cases in the same years, the rate was 64%. Only a general court-martial can impose a dishonorable discharge. Either court level can impose a bad-conduct discharge. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out an administrative separation afterward.
| 2013–2018 | 2019–2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 85 | 38 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 8% | 22% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 6 of 7 | 3 of 8 |
| Convictions with confinement | 99% | 86% |
| Median confinement | 5 months | 4 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 68% | 43% |
| General courts-martial | 9% | 18% |
Fewer Cases Each Year
Counting full years only, the earlier period had about 14 cases a year and the later period had about 8. By year, there were 19 cases in 2019, 5 in 2020, 7 in 2021, 5 in 2022, and 2 in 2023. The last case was in July 2023. Drug cases were 22% of the 173 courts-martial at San Diego in those years.
These groups are small. A few cases can change a percentage, so the changes between the periods show direction, not precise size.
Confinement After a Drug Conviction
Of 38 cases, 35 ended in a conviction on at least one charge. Of those sentences, 30 included confinement (86%). In 2013–2018, 99% of convictions included confinement. The median confinement went from 5 months to 4 months. The 2019–2023 figure is about the same as the 5 months in all Navy and Marine Corps Article 112a cases in those years. A quarter of confinement sentences were 7 months or longer.
Only 3 of 35 convictions (9%) carried more than one year of confinement, compared with 16% in all Navy and Marine Corps Article 112a cases. Confinement under 6 months was 51% of convictions here, compared with 45% service-wide for this charge. Confinement of 6 months to 1 year was 26%, compared with 27%. No sentence was 5 years or longer. Sentences with no confinement were 14% of convictions here and 11% service-wide. These are adjudged sentences, set before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal, and each covers every charge in the case.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, Navy and Marine Corps-wide Article 112a cases |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 5 | 14% | 11% |
| Under 6 months | 18 | 51% | 45% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 9 | 26% | 27% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 3 | 9% | 15% |
| 5 years or more | 0 | 0% | 1% |
General Courts-Martial Were More Common Than Before
A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. A general court-martial has no such limits. Of the 38 cases, 7 (18%) were general courts-martial. That is lower than the 24% in Navy and Marine Corps Article 112a cases overall, but higher than the 9% at San Diego in 2013–2018.
Court level sets the maximum sentence. A special court-martial can impose a bad-conduct discharge, so most of the 15 punitive discharges here could have come from either level. Only the 7 general courts-martial could impose the 2 dishonorable discharges or any confinement longer than one year. The records do not say why a case was sent to one level or the other.
More Cases Were Contested
A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. Of the 37 records that list a plea, 8 were not-guilty or mixed pleas and 29 were guilty pleas. The contested share was 22%, compared with 8% in 2013–2018 and 20% in Navy and Marine Corps-wide Article 112a cases.
Of the 8 contested cases that reached a verdict, 3 ended in a full acquittal. In 2013–2018, the count was 6 of 7. Many earlier records do not list the plea, so the earlier figures rest on fewer records.
Other Charges in the Same Cases
Article 112a was the only charge in 16 of the 38 cases. Across Navy and Marine Corps Article 112a cases in 2019–2023, 200 of 460 charged it alone. The most common other charges were Article 92 (orders violation) in 7 cases, Article 86 (AWOL) and Article 81 (conspiracy) in 5 each, Article 121 (larceny) in 4, and Article 85 (desertion) in 3.
Rank of the Accused
The accused were 25 junior enlisted members, 13 NCOs, and 0 officers. That group is more senior than in the rest of the Navy and Marine Corps. No officer was charged in these drug cases.
What the Records Cannot Show
Navy and Marine Corps records before December 2020 often omit the plea and forum. Plea counts here use only records that list a plea. The records also do not show the evidence, the plea terms, offense dates, or anything handled outside a court-martial, such as nonjudicial punishment.
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.
How We Counted
Courts-martial tried at San Diego, California that charged Article 112a (found guilty, not guilty, or both): 2013–2018 (85) and 2019–2023 (38). Comparisons use every Navy and Marine Corps case charging Article 112a 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
- San Diego, California: Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- Article 112a (Wrongful Use, Possession of Controlled Substances): Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Installation (hub)
- San Diego, California Courts-Martial, 2013–2018: What 285 Cases Show (the whole docket)
- Inside 173 Courts-Martial at San Diego, California, 2019–2023 (the whole docket)
- San Diego, California Courts-Martial, 2024–2026: What 126 Cases Show (the whole docket)
- Drug Cases at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina: 2017–2018 vs. 2019–2023 (same offense, another installation)
- Article 112a at Camp Pendleton, California Before and After 2019 (same offense, another installation)
- Is Navy-Marine Corps Drug Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 112a, 2017–2025
- S3 E52: What You Need to Know About Positive UAs in the Military (podcast, members)
- Article 112a explained on the law firm's website
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Military Judges Who Presided Over Article 112a Cases at San Diego, California, 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.
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.