Federal Administration of Justice Offense Sentences in the Northern District of California, FY2016–2025
In the Northern District of California, 47 people were sentenced for administration of justice offenses in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. The median prison term was 12 months, the same as for this offense type in all 94 federal districts. The sentence was within the guideline range for 13%, compared wit
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Trends › Federal Prosecution Analysis › Federal Sentences in the Northern District of California, FY › Administration of Justice Offense: Northern District of California
In brief: In the Northern District of California, 47 people were sentenced for administration of justice offenses in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. The median prison term was 12 months, the same as for this offense type in all 94 federal districts. The sentence was within the guideline range for 13%, compared with 48% nationally.
This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 47 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.
Prison Terms Matched the National Median
Of the 47 people, 30 (64%) received a prison term, and 12 (26%) received probation only, with no prison or other confinement.
Among those sent to prison, the median prison term was 12 months. A quarter received 33 months or more, and a quarter received 6 months or less.
In all 94 districts, 6,448 people were sentenced for administration of justice offenses. In that group, 72% were sent to prison and the median prison term was 12 months.
What "Administration of Justice" Covers
This is the U.S. Sentencing Commission's offense type for crimes that interfere with courts, officers, or legal proceedings. The Commission assigns the type from the primary guideline.
In this district, the most common was §2J1.2 (Obstruction of Justice), with 19 people. Next was §2A2.4 (Obstructing or Impeding Officers), with 13, followed by §2J1.6 (Failure to Appear by Defendant), with 7.
Another 2 people were sentenced under §2J1.3 (Perjury or Subornation of Perjury). These cases were 1% of the 4,531 people sentenced in the district over fiscal years 2016 to 2025.
Few Sentences Were Within the Range
The guideline range is the range calculated under the federal sentencing guidelines. For the 47 people, 13% (6) were sentenced within it.
The most common result was a sentence below the range without a government request: 57% (27). Another 23% (11) were below the range at the government's request, and 6% (3) were above the range.
For all offenses in this district, 24% of sentences were within the range. In all districts, the figure for this offense type was 48%.
Guilty Pleas and Trials
Of the 47 people, 42 (89%) pleaded guilty and 5 were convicted after a trial. Among guilty pleas, 93% had a written plea agreement and 7% were straight pleas with no agreement.
The median prison term after a guilty plea was 13.5 months. After a trial it was 10 months, based on only 2 people convicted at trial and sent to prison. A median from 2 people is not a reliable comparison.
Supervised Release, Fines, and Mandatory Minimums
Supervised release after prison was ordered for 26 people (55%), with a median term of 36 months.
A fine was ordered for 10 people (21%), and restitution for 11 (23%). A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 2 of the 47 people (4%).
On criminal history, 66% were in the lowest category, category I, and 11% were in the highest, category VI. Court-martial records have no criminal history field.
Year-by-Year Counts and Limits
Fiscal years run from October 1 to September 30. In fiscal years 2016 to 2019, 23 people were sentenced. In fiscal years 2020 to 2025, 24 people were sentenced.
Single years have between 2 and 7 people. The yearly medians include 0 months in 2019, 0.1 months in 2020, and 37.5 months in 2017. At these counts, a yearly median is not a trend.
The data count only people who were convicted and sentenced. Acquittals and dismissals are not included, and prison terms are the terms imposed, not time served.
| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 7 | 13.5 months | 6 of 7 |
| 2017 | 7 | 37.5 months | 6 of 7 |
| 2018 | 4 | 8 months | 4 of 4 |
| 2019 | 5 | 0 months | 5 of 5 |
| 2020 | 6 | 0.1 months | 6 of 6 |
| 2021 | 2 | n/a | 1 of 2 |
| 2022 | 4 | 6 months | 4 of 4 |
| 2023 | 3 | 13.5 months | 2 of 3 |
| 2024 | 6 | 31.5 months | 5 of 6 |
| 2025 | 3 | 12 months | 3 of 3 |
How We Counted
Everyone sentenced in federal court in the Northern District of California (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "California North") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Administration of Justice" (47). 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 Northern District of California, FY2016–2025 (overview)
- Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the Northern District of California, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Firearms Sentences in the Northern District of California, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the Northern District of California, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the Northern District of California, 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.