What San Diego, California Tried in 2016
In 2016, San Diego, California tried 45 courts-martial. Of 10 contested cases that reached a verdict, 7 ended in a full acquittal (70%), compared with 56% across the Navy and Marine Corps. Drug charges under Article 112a were in 37% of cases, compared with 26% service-wide.
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Trends › By Installation › San Diego, California › 2016
Short answer: In 2016, San Diego, California tried 45 courts-martial. Of 10 contested cases that reached a verdict, 7 ended in a full acquittal (70%), compared with 56% across the Navy and Marine Corps. Drug charges under Article 112a were in 37% of cases, compared with 26% service-wide.
A High Full-Acquittal Rate on a Small Number of Cases
A contested case is one where the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. San Diego had 10 contested cases in 2016, and 7 ended in a full acquittal, meaning not guilty of every charge. Another 1 was a partial acquittal: not guilty of one charge, guilty of another.
The 70% full-acquittal rate was higher than the 56% in the Navy and Marine Corps as a whole. There were only 10 contested cases that reached a verdict, so each verdict changes the rate a great deal.
Drug Charges Were the Most Common
The charge lists cover 43 of the 45 cases. Article 112a, wrongful use or possession of controlled substances, was charged in 16 of them. Attempts under Article 80 were more common than service-wide, 14% compared with 9%. So was larceny under Article 121, 16% compared with 11%.
Assault under Article 128 was charged in 23% of cases, lower than the 38% service-wide. Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) was charged in 16%, compared with 21%. Orders violations under Article 92 were charged in 14%, AWOL under Article 86 in 9%, and conspiracy under Article 81 in 9%. Each article counts once per case, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the Navy and Marine Corps as a whole |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 16 | 37% | 26% |
| Art. 128 Assault | 10 | 23% | 38% |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 7 | 16% | 21% |
| Art. 121 Larceny | 7 | 16% | 11% |
| Art. 80 Attempts | 6 | 14% | 9% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 6 | 14% | 9% |
| Art. 86 AWOL | 4 | 9% | 6% |
| Art. 81 Conspiracy | 4 | 9% | 9% |
Guilty Plea Rates by Charge
There were 35 guilty pleas and 10 contested cases. The contested share of 22% was lower than the 27% for the Navy and Marine Corps overall.
Every drug case ended in a guilty plea: 100% (16 of 16). Assault cases ended in a guilty plea 50% of the time (5 of 10). The records do not say why an accused pleaded guilty or contested.
Every Drug Case Ended in Conviction
All 16 drug cases ended in a conviction under Article 112a, with a median confinement of 6 months. Assault cases ended in a conviction on that article in 5 of 10 (50%), and the median confinement in those convictions was 45 days.
These rows overlap, because an accused can be convicted on one article and acquitted on another in the same case.
| Article | Cases charging it | Convicted of it (share) | Median confinement when convicted of it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 16 | 16 (100%) | 6 months |
| Art. 128 Assault | 10 | 5 (50%) | 45 days |
Sentence Lengths in 2016
Of 38 convictions, 33 included confinement. The median confinement was 6 months, the same as the 6 months for the whole Navy and Marine Corps docket. A quarter of confinement sentences were 9 months or longer. These are adjudged sentences: the sentence announced at trial, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal.
Long sentences were less common here. Only 7 of 38 convictions (18%) carried more than one year, compared with 27% service-wide. 3% carried 5 years or more, compared with 7%. 13% of convictions had no confinement, compared with 10%.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, the Navy and Marine Corps as a whole |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 5 | 13% | 10% |
| Under 6 months | 15 | 39% | 35% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 11 | 29% | 27% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 6 | 16% | 20% |
| 5 years or more | 1 | 3% | 7% |
Punitive Discharges and Dismissals
A punitive discharge followed 56% of enlisted convictions at San Diego: 16 bad-conduct discharges and 4 dishonorable discharges. Across the Navy and Marine Corps, the rate was 62%. Of 2 convicted officers or warrant officers, 1 was dismissed.
A sentence without a punitive discharge does not prevent a later administrative separation.
Court Level and Rank
San Diego had 16 general courts-martial and 29 special courts-martial. The general share of 36% compares with 49% service-wide. A general court-martial can impose long confinement and a dishonorable discharge. A special court-martial is limited to one year of confinement and a bad-conduct discharge. Median confinement was 2.5 years at general courts-martial and 4 months at special courts-martial. The contested share was 44% at general courts-martial and 10% at special courts-martial.
The accused were 28 junior enlisted members, 15 NCOs, and 2 officers. That group is more junior than the Navy and Marine Corps as a whole.
2016 Compared With 2015
The number of cases went from 59 in 2015 to 45. Full acquittals in contested cases that reached a verdict went from 5 of 14 to 7 of 10. The contested share went from 24% to 22%. Median confinement went from 4 months to 6 months. The general court-martial share went from 24% to 36%. The enlisted punitive discharge rate was 56% in both years.
In groups this small, a few cases can cause these changes. They show direction only.
| 2015 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 59 | 45 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 24% | 22% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 5 of 14 | 7 of 10 |
| Convictions with confinement | 91% | 87% |
| Median confinement | 4 months | 6 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 56% | 56% |
| General courts-martial | 24% | 36% |
Compared With Norfolk and Bremerton
Norfolk, Virginia tried 55 cases and 31% were contested. Of 17 contested cases that reached a verdict there, 9 ended in a full acquittal. Norfolk's median confinement was 9 months and its enlisted punitive discharge rate was 67%. Bremerton, Washington tried 37 cases and only 3% were contested. Its median confinement was 5 months.
These trials came before the Military Justice Act of 2016 took effect on January 1, 2019. The records do not include offense dates, evidence, plea terms, or matters closed by nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation. Navy and Marine Corps records from this period often omit the plea and forum.
| Installation | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego, California | 45 | 22% | 7 of 10 | 6 months | 56% |
| Bremerton, Washington | 37 | 3% | 1 of 1 | 5 months | 56% |
| Norfolk, Virginia | 55 | 31% | 9 of 17 | 9 months | 67% |
Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Every court-martial tried at San Diego, California with a trial date in 2016 (45 cases).
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)
- By Year (hub)
- What San Diego, California Tried in 2015 (previous / next)
- San Diego, California in 2017: 45 Courts-Martial, Year in Review (previous / next)
- San Diego, California Courts-Martial, 2013–2018: What 285 Cases Show (the whole period)
- A Year of Courts-Martial at Bremerton, Washington: 2015
- A Year of Courts-Martial at Bremerton, Washington: 2017
- A Year of Courts-Martial at Bremerton, Washington: 2018
- A Year of Courts-Martial at Bremerton, Washington: 2020
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
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.