Federal Administration of Justice Offense Sentences in the District of Montana, FY2016–2025
The District of Montana sentenced 26 people for administration of justice offenses in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, and the median prison term was 12 months, the same as in all 94 districts. Sentences were within the guideline range for 27% of the group, compared with 48% nationally.
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Trends › Federal Prosecution Analysis › Federal Sentences in the District of Montana, FY2016–2025 › Administration of Justice Offense: District of Montana
In brief: The District of Montana sentenced 26 people for administration of justice offenses in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, and the median prison term was 12 months, the same as in all 94 districts. Sentences were within the guideline range for 27% of the group, compared with 48% nationally.
This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 26 people sentenced in federal court in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. Acquittals and dismissals come from a second source, the Federal Judicial Center's records of 753,808 federal defendants whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. It is part of the Federal Prosecution Analysis series, which builds on Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System. How the numbers were built: How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built.
A Mixed Group of Obstruction-Type Offenses
"Administration of Justice" is the Sentencing Commission's label for offenses that interfere with courts and law enforcement. The Montana data lists 4 guidelines.
The most common was §2A2.4 (Obstructing or Impeding Officers), with 9 people. Next came §2J1.2 (Obstruction of Justice) with 8, §2X4.1 (Misprision of Felony) with 5, and §2J1.3 (Perjury or Subornation of Perjury) with 2. The group was less than 1% of the 3,524 people sentenced in the district.
Prison, Probation, and Median Terms
A prison term went to 17 of the 26 people (65%), and 5 (19%) received probation only. The median prison term was 12 months. A quarter received 24 months or more, and a quarter received 9.2 months or less.
Across all districts, 6,448 people were sentenced for this offense type, 72% were sent to prison, and the median was 12 months. The district's median for all offenses was 40 months.
Against the Guideline Range
A total of 7 people (27%) were sentenced within the range. Another 6 (23%) were below it at the government's request, and 12 (46%) were below it without that request. Finally, 1 person (4%) was above the range.
The national share within the range was 48%, and the share for all Montana offenses was 33%. The administration of justice group is lower than both.
Guilty Pleas, Trials, and Agreements
In all, 23 people (88%) pleaded guilty, and 3 were convicted after a trial. The median prison term was 12 months after a guilty plea and 24 months after a trial, with the trial figure resting on 3 people.
Written plea agreements covered 74% of the guilty pleas, and 26% were straight pleas. No mandatory minimum applied to any of the 26.
Supervision, Fines, and Restitution
Supervised release was ordered for 16 people (62%), with a median term of 36 months. Fines and restitution were each ordered for 4 people (15%).
In criminal history category I, the lowest, 69% of the group were placed. None was in category VI. Court-martial records have no criminal history field.
Reading the Year Table
The table lists 1 to 7 people per year, with 7 in 2016 and 5 in 2023. Fiscal years 2016 to 2019 account for 12 people, and fiscal years 2020 to 2025 account for 14 people. A median of 0 months in 2021 reflects one person. These yearly figures are too small to establish a trend.
| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 7 | 15 months | 7 of 7 |
| 2017 | 1 | 9.2 months | 1 of 1 |
| 2018 | 3 | 24 months | 2 of 3 |
| 2019 | 1 | 12 months | 0 of 1 |
| 2020 | 2 | 32.5 months | 2 of 2 |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 months | 1 of 1 |
| 2022 | 1 | 12 months | 1 of 1 |
| 2023 | 5 | 12 months | 4 of 5 |
| 2024 | 3 | 24 months | 3 of 3 |
| 2025 | 2 | 18 months | 2 of 2 |
What Is Missing
Malmstrom AFB, Montana, is in the district, but courts-martial are handled by military courts and are not counted here.
Only people convicted and sentenced appear. Terms are those imposed rather than served, and the data does not describe the underlying proceedings.
How We Counted
Everyone sentenced in federal court in the District of Montana (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Montana") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Administration of Justice" (26). Offense types are the Commission's OFFGUIDE categories.
Federal fiscal years run from October 1 to September 30. No person, judge, or lawyer is identified in any of these records.
What to Keep in Mind
No parole in federal prison; credit for good conduct. Federal prison has no parole for crimes committed on or after November 1, 1987. A federal prisoner can earn up to 54 days of good conduct credit for each year of the sentence the judge imposed, which is about 15%. Some federal prisoners can also earn First Step Act time credits, but many offenses make a person ineligible. The numbers in this post are the sentences judges imposed, not the time people actually served.
Federal supervised release. Most federal prison sentences are followed by a term of supervised release that the judge sets as part of the sentence. A person who violates it can be sent back to prison. A court-martial cannot sentence anyone to supervision after release. Military parole and mandatory supervised release are decided later by a board, not by the judge at trial.
Who decides the sentence, and under what rules. Federal judges sentence every federal case. They must calculate the Sentencing Guidelines range, which is advisory, and must impose any mandatory minimum the statute requires unless an exception applies. In courts-martial, the accused could choose sentencing by members until the rules changed. For cases in which every guilty finding is for an offense committed after December 27, 2023, a military judge sentences alone, within sentencing parameters. Courts-martial tried in 2024 and later include both old-rule and new-rule cases, and the data cannot tell them apart.
Time periods. Federal numbers are by federal fiscal year (October 1 to September 30), based on the sentencing date. The military numbers are by trial date. Neither source has the date of the offense, so a change in law shows up in either data set gradually.
How life sentences and "time served" are counted. In the federal numbers, a life sentence is counted as 470 months, and any other sentence longer than 470 months is counted as just under 470 months. A sentence of "time served" is counted as one day (0.03 months). Averages are affected by these rules; medians much less.
Related Analysis
- Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System (the background article)
- Federal Prosecution Analysis (all federal posts)
- How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built (sources and method)
- Federal Sentences in the District of Montana, FY2016–2025 (overview)
- Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the District of Montana, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Firearms Sentences in the District of Montana, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the District of Montana, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Assault Sentences in the District of Montana, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- U.S. Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles (source)
- Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (criminal defendants) (source)
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.