Military Trial Results · Analysis
Understanding Trends in Military Practice
Analysis of real court-martial records: what gets charged, how cases end, what sentences look like, how experienced the lawyers of record were, and what changed when the law did.
Every number is computed from the Military Trial Results data, built from the services' public court-martial records. Each post says how many cases it rests on, the years covered, and how we counted. Read how this data was built before citing it.
Browse the Analysis
- By InstallationBases and regions, by time period
- By OffenseUCMJ articles, rising and falling charges
- By ServiceArmy, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps
- By YearWhat each year and month looked like
- SentencesConfinement, discharges, judge alone vs. members
- Counsel ExperiencePrior cases of the lawyers of record
- Law ChangesBefore and after the major reforms
- Episode CompanionsThe numbers behind podcast episodes
Federal Prosecution Analysis
How do federal prosecutions compare with courts-martial? These posts use the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of everyone sentenced in federal court and the Federal Judicial Center's records of every federal defendant whose case ended, including dismissals and acquittals, for fiscal years 2016 to 2025. They cover sentences, guilty pleas, trials and acquittals, mandatory minimums, and supervised release, offense by offense. Where a federal crime has a close counterpart in the UCMJ, the post sets the two side by side. Where it doesn't, the post reports the federal numbers on their own. For how military law has moved toward the federal system, start with Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System.
Latest Analysis
18 U.S.C. 1589, Forced labor: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2017–2025
All 11 federal trials under 18 U.S.C. 1589 in fiscal years 2017 to 2025 ended in a conviction. Of the 43 defendants, 25 (58%) pleaded guilty, 7 (16%) had their cases dismissed, and 11 (26%) went to trial. Of the 36 convicted, 33 (92%) received a prison term on this charge, with a median of 90.5 mont
18 U.S.C. 514, Fictitious obligations: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025
Among 45 federal defendants whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 with 18 U.S.C. 514 as the most serious charge, 10 (22%) went to trial, and 1 of those trials ended in an acquittal (10%). Of the 35 convicted, 34 (97%) received a prison term on that charge. The median term was 33 months (2.8
18 U.S.C. 1031, Major fraud against the United States: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025
Under 18 U.S.C. 1031, 8 of the 51 defendants (16%) whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 went to trial, and 1 was acquitted (1 of 8). Another 29 (57%) pleaded guilty and 14 (27%) had their cases dismissed. Of the 36 convicted, 23 (64%) received a prison term on that charge, with a median of
18 U.S.C. 1114, Protection of officers and employees of the United States: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025
All 41 federal defendants convicted under 18 U.S.C. 1114 in cases that ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 received a prison term on that charge, with a median of 201 months (16.8 years). Of the 53 defendants counted, 31 (58%) pleaded guilty, 10 (19%) had their cases dismissed, and 12 (23%) went to t
29 U.S.C. 439, Violations and penalties: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025
All 53 federal defendants whose most serious charge at the end of the case was under 29 U.S.C. 439 were charged at the Class A misdemeanor level. In fiscal years 2016 to 2025, 50 (94%) pleaded guilty, 2 (4%) had their cases dismissed, and 1 went to a bench trial that did not end in an acquittal. Of
49 U.S.C. 46314, Entering aircraft or airport area in violation of security requirements: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025
In fiscal years 2016 to 2025, 54 federal defendants had a most serious charge under 49 U.S.C. 46314 when their cases ended. The charge was a felony for 26 (48%) and a Class A misdemeanor for 28 (52%). Of the 50 convicted, 24 (48%) received a prison term on that charge, with a median of 11 months.
18 U.S.C. 553, Importation or exportation of stolen motor vehicles, off-highway mobile equipment, vessels, or aircraft: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025
Federal courts closed 62 cases in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 in which 18 U.S.C. 553 was the most serious charge. Most of them ended in the last 2 years: 14 in fiscal year 2024 and 24 in fiscal year 2025. No case went to trial, 53 (85%) ended in a guilty plea, and 48 of the 53 convicted (91%) received
42 U.S.C. 6928, Federal enforcement: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025
Most of the 66 federal defendants charged under 42 U.S.C. 6928 pleaded guilty: 55 (83%) in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. Nearly all charges were felonies, 65 (98%). Of the 56 convicted, 20 (36%) received a prison term on that charge, with a median of 21 months.
18 U.S.C. 249, Hate crime acts: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025
Federal defendants convicted under 18 U.S.C. 249 in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 received a median prison term of 79 months (6.6 years) on that charge. Of the 61 convicted, 57 (93%) received a prison term, and 5 received life. In all, 68 defendants had cases end under this section, and 53 (78%) pleaded
18 U.S.C. 1204, International parental kidnapping: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025
Dismissal was the most common way a federal case under 18 U.S.C. 1204 ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025: 33 of 69 defendants (48%). Another 31 (45%) pleaded guilty, and 5 went to trial, none ending in an acquittal. Of the 36 convicted, 31 received a prison term on this charge, with a median of 19 m
18 U.S.C. 1348, Securities and commodities fraud: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025
Only 70 federal defendants had cases end under 18 U.S.C. 1348 in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, and 15 of them (21%) went to trial. Of those 15 trials, 5 ended in an acquittal (33%). Most defendants were convicted: 49 of 70 (70%), and 45 of the 49 (92%) received a prison term on this charge, with a medi
18 U.S.C. 894, Collection of extensions of credit by extortionate means: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025
Federal trials under 18 U.S.C. 894 were few in fiscal years 2016 to 2025: 7 of the 70 defendants (10%) went to trial, and 4 of those 7 ended in an acquittal. Most defendants pleaded guilty: 59 (84%). Of the 62 convicted, 52 (84%) received a prison term on that charge, with a median of 30 months (2.5
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