Federal Administration of Justice Offense Sentences in the Eastern District of Louisiana, FY2016–2025
Of the 61 people sentenced in the "Administration of Justice" offense type in the Eastern District of Louisiana in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, 30 (49%) received probation only and 23 (38%) received a prison term. The median prison term was 21 months, compared with 12 months for this offense type in a
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In brief: Of the 61 people sentenced in the "Administration of Justice" offense type in the Eastern District of Louisiana in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, 30 (49%) received probation only and 23 (38%) received a prison term. The median prison term was 21 months, compared with 12 months for this offense type in all 94 federal districts.
This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 61 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.
Probation Only Was the Most Common Result
Probation only, with no prison or other confinement, went to 30 of the 61 people (49%). A prison term went to 23 people (38%).
In all 94 districts, 6,448 people were sentenced in this offense type, and 72% were sent to prison. The share sent to prison was lower in this district.
Among those sent to prison here, the median prison term was 21 months. A quarter received 22.5 months or more, and a quarter received 12 months or less.
What the Category Contains
The Commission's "Administration of Justice" type groups cases by main sentencing guideline. The most common here was §2X4.1 (Misprision of Felony), with 43 cases. Next was §2J1.2 (Obstruction of Justice), with 12 cases.
There were 4 cases under §2A2.4 (Obstructing or Impeding Officers) and 1 under §2J1.4 (Impersonation). These cases were 2% of the 2,953 people sentenced in the district. The median prison term for all offenses in the district was 60 months.
Sentences Against the Guideline Range
Sentences were below the guideline range without a government request for 46% of the group (28 people) and at the government's request for 13% (8 people). Sentences were within the range for 34% (21 people) and above it for 7% (4 people).
In all 94 districts, 48% of sentences in this offense type were within the range. For all offenses in this district the figure was 56%. A mandatory minimum applied to 2 of the 61 people (3%).
One Trial Among 61 Cases
A total of 60 of 61 people (98%) pleaded guilty, and 1 was convicted after a trial. The median prison term after a guilty plea was 20.5 months. The one trial conviction came with 87 months.
A single case cannot show how trials and pleas differ in general. Among the guilty pleas, 90% had a written plea agreement and 10% were straight pleas with no agreement.
Supervised Release, Fines, and Restitution
Supervised release after prison was ordered for 23 people (38%), with a median term of 12 months. A fine was ordered for 10 people (16%), and restitution for 9 (15%).
In criminal history, 89% were in the lowest category and 0% in the highest. Court-martial records have no criminal history field.
Counts by Fiscal Year
Fiscal years 2016 to 2019 had 29 people, and fiscal years 2020 to 2025 had 32 people. Yearly counts ranged from 3 to 10 people.
The yearly median prison term ranged from 7.6 months to 36 months. At these counts, a median can change a good deal with a change in 1 or 2 cases, so the table does not show a trend.
| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 9 | 36 months | 9 of 9 |
| 2017 | 10 | 20 months | 100% |
| 2018 | 6 | 12.8 months | 6 of 6 |
| 2019 | 4 | 24 months | 4 of 4 |
| 2020 | 3 | 7.6 months | 3 of 3 |
| 2021 | 5 | 19.3 months | 5 of 5 |
| 2022 | 6 | 21 months | 6 of 6 |
| 2023 | 3 | 16.5 months | 3 of 3 |
| 2024 | 6 | 14 months | 5 of 6 |
| 2025 | 9 | 21 months | 9 of 9 |
Limits of the Records
The data covers only people who were convicted and sentenced. Acquittals and dismissals are not in it. The prison terms listed were imposed by the court and are not time served.
The records do not give the facts of any case. This post reports federal numbers on their own.
How We Counted
Everyone sentenced in federal court in the Eastern District of Louisiana (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Louisiana East") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Administration of Justice" (61). 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 Eastern District of Louisiana, FY2016–2025 (overview)
- Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the Eastern District of Louisiana, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the Eastern District of Louisiana, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Firearms Sentences in the Eastern District of Louisiana, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the Eastern District of Louisiana, 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.