Did AWOL Cases at San Diego, California Change After 2019?
San Diego, California had 10 courts-martial charging Article 86 (AWOL) in 2019–2023, compared with 30 in 2013–2017. None of the 10 charged AWOL alone, and 5 also charged Article 112a (drug). General courts-martial heard 30% of the cases, compared with 0% in 2013–2017.
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Short answer: San Diego, California had 10 courts-martial charging Article 86 (AWOL) in 2019–2023, compared with 30 in 2013–2017. None of the 10 charged AWOL alone, and 5 also charged Article 112a (drug). General courts-martial heard 30% of the cases, compared with 0% in 2013–2017.
AWOL Charged With Other Offenses
Article 86 was the only charge in 0 of the 10 cases. In all Navy and Marine Corps Article 86 cases, 10 of 96 charged it alone. At San Diego, Article 112a (drug) was charged in 5 cases. Article 121 (larceny), Article 128 (assault), and Article 80 (attempt) were each charged in 4, and Article 85 (desertion) in 3.
Each sentence covers every charge in the case, so these other charges are part of the sentence figures below.
General Courts-Martial Appear in the Later Period
General courts-martial heard 3 of the 10 cases (30%), and special courts-martial heard the rest. In 2013–2017, none of the 30 cases was tried at a general court-martial (0%). A general court-martial can impose long confinement and a dishonorable discharge. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year.
Confinement
All 10 cases ended in a conviction on at least one charge, and 8 of those sentences included confinement (80%). The median confinement was 6 months, close to the 5 months median in all Navy and Marine Corps Article 86 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.
Punitive Discharges
A punitive discharge followed 60% of enlisted convictions: 3 bad-conduct discharges and 3 dishonorable discharges. In all Navy and Marine Corps Article 86 cases in 2019–2023, the share was 65%. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
2013–2017 Compared With 2019–2023
The 2013–2017 records show 30 cases over 5 years, about 6 a year. Since 2019 there have been about 2 a year: 3 in 2019, 3 in 2020, 1 in 2021, 2 in 2022, and 1 in 2023. These 10 cases were 6% of the 173 courts-martial at San Diego in 2019–2023.
The median confinement went from 4 months to 6 months. Convictions with confinement went from 97% to 80%. The punitive discharge share was 59% and then 60%. With 10 cases in the later period, the changes show a direction only.
| 2013–2017 | 2019–2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 30 | 10 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 3% | 10% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 0 of 1 | 0 of 1 |
| Convictions with confinement | 97% | 80% |
| Median confinement | 4 months | 6 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 59% | 60% |
| General courts-martial | 0% | 30% |
Pleas and Rank
Of the 10 accused, 9 pleaded guilty and 1 contested at least one charge. The contested share, 10%, compares with 24% in all Navy and Marine Corps Article 86 cases. A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge.
By rank, 8 accused were junior enlisted members, 2 were NCOs, and 0 were officers. That mix is similar to Navy and Marine Corps Article 86 cases overall.
Limits of This Data
The records show charges, pleas, findings, and sentences. They do not show offense dates, the evidence, the plea terms, or AWOL cases handled by nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation.
For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 86 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 86 (found guilty, not guilty, or both): 2013–2017 (30) and 2019–2023 (10). Comparisons use every Navy and Marine Corps case charging Article 86 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 86 (AWOL): 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)
- Navy-Marine Corps Article 86 Cases by the Numbers, 2017–2025
- Article 107 at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina Before and After 2019
- Article 112a at Camp Pendleton, California Before and After 2019
- Article 112a at Camp Pendleton, California Before and After 2024
- Article 86 explained on the law firm's website
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Military Judges Who Presided Over Article 86 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.
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.