> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.bodiesburied.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # A Year of Courts-Martial at San Diego, California: 2020 - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/san-diego-california-courts-martial-2020/ - Published: 2026-10-28T06:54:58.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-30T05:26:44.000Z - Description: San Diego, California tried 27 courts-martial in 2020. Larceny under Article 121 was charged in 24% of cases, compared with 8% across the Navy and Marine Corps. Only 15% of cases were contested, compared with 30% service-wide. - Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart - Tags: Understanding Trends, San Diego, California, Navy-Marine Corps [Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [By Installation](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-installation/) › [San Diego, California](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-at-san-diego-california/) › 2020 **Short answer:** San Diego, California tried 27 courts-martial in 2020\. Larceny under Article 121 was charged in 24% of cases, compared with 8% across the Navy and Marine Corps. Only 15% of cases were contested, compared with 30% service-wide. Of convicted enlisted members, 48% received a punitive discharge, compared with 62% elsewhere. Based on 27 cases · 2020 · Navy and Marine Corps records · data updated October 24, 2026 ## Larceny Was Much More Common Than Service-Wide Charge lists exist for 25 of the 27 cases. Assault under Article 128 was the most common charge, in 8 cases, or 32%, compared with 36% for the Navy and Marine Corps in 2020\. Larceny under Article 121 was next, in 6 cases. That 24% share is much higher than the 8% service-wide. Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) was charged in 20% of cases, compared with 16%. Drug cases under Article 112a were also 20% of cases here, lower than the 30% service-wide. Attempts under Article 80 and AWOL under Article 86 were more common than service-wide, at 16% and 12%. False official statements under Article 107 were 12%, the same as the service. Each article counts once per case. | UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the Navy and Marine Corps as a whole | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | ---------- | ------------------------------------------- | | [Art. 128](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-128/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Assault | 8 | 32% | 36% | | [Art. 121](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-121/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Larceny | 6 | 24% | 8% | | [Art. 120](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-120-sexual-assault/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Rape and sexual assault | 5 | 20% | 16% | | [Art. 112a](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-112a-drug-offenses/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 5 | 20% | 30% | | [Art. 80](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-80/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Attempts | 4 | 16% | 11% | | [Art. 92](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-92/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Failure to obey order or regulation | 4 | 16% | 18% | | [Art. 107](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-107/?ref=bodiesburied.com) False official statements | 3 | 12% | 12% | | [Art. 86](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-86/?ref=bodiesburied.com) AWOL | 3 | 12% | 7% | ## Few Cases Were Contested Of the 27 accused, 23 pleaded guilty and 4 contested at least one charge with a not-guilty or mixed plea. The contested share of 15% compares with 30% across the Navy and Marine Corps. Of the 4 contested cases that reached a verdict, 2 ended in a full acquittal. A rate based on so few cases says little by itself. ## Median Confinement Was the Same as the Service Confinement was part of 72% of the 25 convictions. The median confinement was 6 months, the same as the 6-month median across the whole Navy and Marine Corps docket. A quarter of confinement sentences were 1 year or longer. All of these are adjudged sentences, meaning the sentence announced at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each sentence covers every charge in the case, not a single offense. ## More Convictions With No Confinement Convictions with no confinement were 28% here, compared with 15% service-wide. Confinement under 6 months was 32%, compared with 36%. Confinement of 6 months to 1 year was 24%, compared with 23%. Long sentences were less common. Only 4 of 25 convictions (16%) were longer than one year, compared with 26% across the service. Sentences of 5 years or more were 4%, compared with 6%. Only a general court-martial can impose more than one year of confinement. | Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, Navy and Marine Corps-wide | | ------------------------------- | ----------- | ---------- | --------------------------------- | | No confinement | 7 | 28% | 15% | | Under 6 months | 8 | 32% | 36% | | 6 months to 1 year | 6 | 24% | 23% | | More than 1 year, under 5 years | 3 | 12% | 20% | | 5 years or more | 1 | 4% | 6% | ## Punitive Discharges in 2020 Of 25 convicted enlisted members, 12 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (48%). Of those, 3 were dishonorable discharges. The rest of the Navy and Marine Corps had a rate of 62%. A bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge is a punitive discharge, imposed as part of the sentence. A member without one could still face an administrative separation later. ## General and Special Courts-Martial The 27 cases were 12 general and 15 special courts-martial. The general share of 44% was slightly higher than the 41% service-wide. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence. A special court-martial is limited to one year of confinement and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. General courts-martial were contested 25% of the time and had a median confinement of 1.5 years. Special courts-martial were contested 7% of the time, with a median of 4 months. Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) were 59% of the accused and NCOs were 41%. Service-wide, junior enlisted members were 64%. ## Fewer Cases Than 2019 San Diego had 51 cases in 2019 and 27 in 2020\. The contested share was about the same: 14% and 15%. Median confinement went from 7 months to 6 months. The share of convictions with confinement went from 87% to 72%. The enlisted punitive discharge rate went from 71% to 48%. General courts-martial went from 33% to 44% of cases. In groups this small, a few cases can cause these changes. They show direction, not a fixed trend. | | 2019 | 2020 | | ----------------------------------- | -------- | -------- | | Cases | 51 | 27 | | Contested (of pleas recorded) | 14% | 15% | | Full acquittals (decided contested) | 4 of 7 | 2 of 4 | | Convictions with confinement | 87% | 72% | | Median confinement | 7 months | 6 months | | Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 71% | 48% | | General courts-martial | 33% | 44% | ## Similar Installations and What the Records Cannot Show Norfolk, Virginia tried 29 cases in 2020, and 31% were contested. Its median confinement was 8 months and its enlisted punitive discharge rate was 72%. Okinawa, Japan tried 23 cases, with a median confinement of 4 months and a 62% punitive discharge rate. Trial records list charges, pleas, findings, and sentences. They do not show the evidence, the plea terms, or any conduct handled outside a court-martial. Navy and Marine Corps records from before December 2020 often omit the plea and forum, so plea counts use only the records that list them. | Installation | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) | | --------------------- | ----- | --------- | ----------------------------------- | ------------------ | ----------------------------- | | San Diego, California | 27 | 15% | 2 of 4 | 6 months | 48% | | Norfolk, Virginia | 29 | 31% | 4 of 9 | 8 months | 72% | | Okinawa, Japan | 23 | — | — | 4 months | 62% | Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: [UCMJ change timeline](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/ucmj-change-timeline/). ### How We Counted Every court-martial tried at San Diego, California with a trial date in 2020 (27 cases). Source: public court-martial records (Article 140a, UCMJ) in [Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/), data updated October 24, 2026\. Definitions, sources, and known gaps: [how this data was built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/how-the-military-trial-results-data-was-built/). Errors: content@bodiesburied.com. ## Related Analysis - [San Diego, California: Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-at-san-diego-california/) (hub) - [By Year](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-year/) (hub) - [A Year of Courts-Martial at San Diego, California: 2019](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/san-diego-california-courts-martial-2019/) (previous / next) - [San Diego, California in 2021: 37 Courts-Martial, Year in Review](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/san-diego-california-courts-martial-2021/) (previous / next) - [Inside 173 Courts-Martial at San Diego, California, 2019–2023](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/san-diego-california-courts-martial-2019-2023/) (the whole period) - [A Year of Courts-Martial at Bremerton, Washington: 2015](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/bremerton-washington-courts-martial-2015/) - [A Year of Courts-Martial at Bremerton, Washington: 2017](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/bremerton-washington-courts-martial-2017/) - [A Year of Courts-Martial at Bremerton, Washington: 2018](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/bremerton-washington-courts-martial-2018/) - [A Year of Courts-Martial at Bremerton, Washington: 2020](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/bremerton-washington-courts-martial-2020/) - [Search every case in Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/) (members) ← Previous: [A Year of Courts-Martial at San Diego, California: 2019](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/san-diego-california-courts-martial-2019/)Next: [San Diego, California in 2021: 37 Courts-Martial, Year in Review](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/san-diego-california-courts-martial-2021/) → ## Military Judges Who Presided Over Cases at San Diego, California, 2020 - [Ryan Stormer](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-ryan-stormer/) 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](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judges/) 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](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/?ref=bodiesburied.com). This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.