San Diego, California Before and After 2019: How Its Courts-Martial Changed

Trends › By Installation › San Diego, California › Before and after 2019

Based on 173 cases · 2019–2023 · Navy and Marine Corps records · data updated October 24, 2026

Full Acquittals Were More Common Than the Service Rate

A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. Of 52 contested cases that reached a verdict, 18 ended in a full acquittal (35%). That is higher than the 29% for the Navy and Marine Corps as a whole. Another 9 (17%) ended in a partial acquittal, meaning not guilty of at least one charge or specification but guilty of another.

Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) had the lowest conviction rate among the top charges. It was charged in 28 cases and ended in a conviction on that article in 17 (61%). Article 128 (assault) ended in a conviction on that article in 35 of 47 cases (74%), Article 112a (drug offenses) in 35 of 38, and Article 134 in all 25.

What Changed After 2018

From 2013 through 2018, San Diego had about 48 cases a year, 285 in all. Since 2019 it has had about 35 a year: 51 cases in 2019, 27 in 2020, 37 in 2021, 27 in 2022, and 31 in 2023.

The contested share went from 23% to 30%. General courts-martial went from 31% to 43% of cases. Full acquittals in contested cases that reached a verdict went from 34 of 64 to 18 of 52. Convictions with confinement went from 88% to 79%. Median confinement went from 5 months to 6 months. Punitive discharges were 55% in both periods. A few cases can change these rates, so the changes show direction only.

Pleas by Charge

Almost every record lists the plea: 172 of 173. Of those, 120 accused pleaded guilty and 52 entered a not-guilty or mixed plea. The contested share was 30%, compared with 31% service-wide.

The guilty plea rate was different for each charge. Cases charging Article 112a ended in a guilty plea 78% of the time (29 of 37), the highest among the top charges. Article 120 cases ended in a guilty plea 36% of the time (10 of 28). The records do not say why any accused pleaded guilty or contested. They also do not show whether a plea agreement capped the sentence.

Assault and Drug Charges Were the Most Common

Charges are listed for 167 of the cases, and each article counts once per case. Article 128 was charged in 28% of cases, compared with 31% across the Navy and Marine Corps. Article 112a was charged in 23%, compared with 25%.

Larceny under Article 121 had the largest difference: 14% here, compared with 9% service-wide. Article 80 (attempts), at 13%, and Article 131b (obstructing justice), at 10%, were also somewhat more common than service-wide. Article 134 and Article 92 were each charged in 15% of cases, compared with 18%.

Sentences After a Conviction

Of 155 convictions, 123 included confinement. The median confinement was 6 months, the same as in the rest of the Navy and Marine Corps. A quarter of confinement sentences were 1 year or longer. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal, and each covers every charge in a case.

21% of convictions had no confinement, compared with 17% service-wide. Sentences longer than one year were 29 of 155 convictions (19%), compared with 24%. Only a general court-martial can impose more than one year of confinement. A special court-martial is capped at one year.

Punitive Discharges Were Less Common

Of convicted enlisted members, 55% received a punitive discharge: 59 bad-conduct discharges and 24 dishonorable discharges. That compares with 63% in the rest of the Navy and Marine Corps. Of 3 convicted officers or warrant officers, 1 was dismissed.

A sentence with no punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation, which these records do not track.

Sentences by Court Level

General courts-martial tried 75 cases (43%, compared with 44% service-wide), and special courts-martial tried 98. General courts-martial, which can impose any lawful sentence, had a median confinement of 1.5 years, and 45% of their cases were contested. Special courts-martial, which are capped at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge, had a median of 4 months, and 19% of their cases were contested.

The accused were 99 junior enlisted members, 70 NCOs, and 3 officers. That mix is more senior than the Navy and Marine Corps overall.

Compared With Bremerton and Norfolk

Bremerton, Washington (153 cases) and Norfolk, Virginia (205) tried similar numbers of cases in the same years. San Diego's contested share of 30% was between Bremerton's 29% and Norfolk's 35%. Its median confinement was the same as Norfolk's, 6 months. Its punitive discharge rate was lower than Norfolk's 62% and higher than Bremerton's 42%.

What the Records Cannot Show

The records give trial dates, not offense dates. They do not show the evidence or plea terms. They do not include nonjudicial punishment or administrative separations.

Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.

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.