Federal Administration of Justice Offense Sentences in the District of Utah, FY2016–2025
In the District of Utah, 70 people were sentenced for administration of justice offenses in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. Of them, 55 (79%) received a prison term, with a median of 6 months, and 11 (16%) received probation only. In all 94 districts, the median was 12 months.
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Trends › Federal Prosecution Analysis › Federal Sentences in the District of Utah, FY2016–2025 › Administration of Justice Offense: District of Utah
In brief: In the District of Utah, 70 people were sentenced for administration of justice offenses in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. Of them, 55 (79%) received a prison term, with a median of 6 months, and 11 (16%) received probation only. In all 94 districts, the median was 12 months.
This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 70 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.
The Guidelines Behind This Offense Type
"Administration of Justice" is the Commission's category, and it holds several kinds of cases. The most common primary guideline was §2J1.2 (Obstruction of Justice), used for 22 people.
Next were §2A2.4 (Obstructing or Impeding Officers), used for 21, and §2X4.1 (Misprision of Felony), used for 16. A total of 5 people were sentenced under §2J1.6 (Failure to Appear by Defendant).
Because the guidelines differ, one median covers different kinds of conduct.
Prison Terms
Of the 70 people, 55 (79%) received a prison term, and 11 (16%) received probation only. In all districts, 72% were sent to prison.
The median prison term was 6 months. A quarter received 15 months or more, and a quarter received 0.1 months or less. The all-district median was 12 months, which is higher.
For all offenses in the district, the median was 30 months. A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 2 of the 70 people (3%).
Pleas and Trials
Of the 70 people, 64 (91%) pleaded guilty, and 6 were convicted after a trial. In all districts, guilty pleas were 93%.
The median prison term after a guilty plea was 6 months. After a trial it was 15 months, based on 5 people convicted at trial and sent to prison. The group is small.
All of the guilty pleas had a written plea agreement.
Against the Guideline Range
Sentences below the range at the government's request were 53% (37). Within-range sentences were 29% (20), below-range sentences without a request were 13% (9), and above-range sentences were 6% (4).
In all districts, 48% of sentences for this type were within the range. For all offenses in the district, the share was 24%.
Counts by Fiscal Year
Fiscal years 2016 to 2019 have 20 people, and fiscal years 2020 to 2025 have 50 people. The largest year is fiscal year 2025, with 11 people.
The yearly medians range from 0 months in fiscal year 2021 to 13.5 months in fiscal year 2016. With 2 to 11 people a year, the table does not show a trend. Fiscal years run from October 1 to September 30.
| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 6 | 13.5 months | 3 of 6 |
| 2017 | 6 | 9 months | 5 of 6 |
| 2018 | 2 | 11 months | 2 of 2 |
| 2019 | 6 | 6 months | 6 of 6 |
| 2020 | 6 | 1.5 months | 6 of 6 |
| 2021 | 7 | 0 months | 7 of 7 |
| 2022 | 9 | 5.9 months | 9 of 9 |
| 2023 | 7 | 10.6 months | 7 of 7 |
| 2024 | 10 | 12 months | 100% |
| 2025 | 11 | 12 months | 82% |
Supervised Release, Penalties, and Criminal History
Supervised release was ordered for 45 people (64%), with a median term of 36 months. A fine was ordered for 4 (6%), and restitution for 16 (23%).
In criminal history, 48% were in the lowest category (Category I), and 6% were in the highest (Category VI).
Limits of the Records
These cases were less than 1% of the 7,061 people sentenced in the district. Hill AFB, Utah, is in the district, but courts-martial are tried in military courts, not in this federal court.
The Commission counts only people who were convicted and sentenced. Dismissals and acquittals are not included, and no case details are given.
How We Counted
Everyone sentenced in federal court in the District of Utah (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Utah") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Administration of Justice" (70). 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.
Mandatory minimum sentences. Many federal statutes on drugs, images of child exploitation, child sex abuse, and firearms carry mandatory minimum prison terms. The UCMJ has mandatory minimums only for a few offenses (a dishonorable discharge or dismissal for rape and sexual assault, and life for premeditated murder). Federal sentences for these offenses are partly set by Congress, not by the judge.
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 Utah, FY2016–2025 (overview)
- Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the District of Utah, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the District of Utah, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Firearms Sentences in the District of Utah, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the District of Utah, 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.