Federal Assault Sentences in the Southern District of New York, FY2016–2025
354 people were sentenced for assault offenses in the Southern District of New York in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, and the median prison term was 84 months (7 years). That is higher than the 42-month median across all 94 federal districts. A mandatory minimum applied to 130 of the 353 people with tha
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Trends › Federal Prosecution Analysis › Federal Sentences in the Southern District of New York, FY20 › Assault: Southern District of New York
In brief: 354 people were sentenced for assault offenses in the Southern District of New York in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, and the median prison term was 84 months (7 years). That is higher than the 42-month median across all 94 federal districts. A mandatory minimum applied to 130 of the 353 people with that information recorded (37%).
This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 354 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 Higher Median Than the National Figure
351 of the 354 people (more than 99%) received a prison term, and 3 (less than 1%) received probation only. The median prison term was 84 months (7 years). A quarter received 120.5 months or more, and a quarter received 44.6 months or less.
Across all 94 districts, 90% were sent to prison and the median was 42 months. For all offenses in this district, the median was 33 months.
Mandatory Minimums
A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 130 of the 353 people with that information recorded (37%). A mandatory minimum is a prison floor set by statute.
These cases were 3% of the 12,035 people sentenced in the district over fiscal years 2016 to 2025.
Where Sentences Fell Against the Guideline Range
The guideline range comes from the U.S. Sentencing Commission's rules. Of 352 people with the information, 31% (109) were within the range. 20% (69) were below it at the government's request, and 47% (164) were below it without a government request. 3% (10) were above it.
The within-range share was 48% across all 94 districts and 22% for all offenses in this district.
Pleas and Trials
329 people (93%) pleaded guilty, and 25 were convicted after a trial. The plea rate was 93% across all 94 districts.
The median prison term after a guilty plea was 78 months. After a trial it was 120 months, based on 25 people. Among the guilty pleas, 69% had a written plea agreement and 30% were straight pleas with no agreement.
Which Guidelines Applied
"Assault" is the Commission's offense type for this group. The most common primary guideline was §2A2.1 (Assault with Intent to Commit Murder), with 263 people. Next was §2A2.2 (Aggravated Assault) with 83 people. §2X1.1 (Attempt, Solicitation, or Conspiracy (Not Covered by a Specific Offense Guideline)) and §2X3.1 (Accessory After the Fact) each applied to 3 people.
Counts and Medians by Year
The table shows 15 people in fiscal year 2016 and 49 in fiscal year 2024. The highest median was 98.5 months in fiscal year 2017, and the lowest was 54 months in fiscal year 2021.
Plea rates by year ranged from 83% in fiscal year 2020 to 100% in fiscal years 2016 and 2017. Fiscal years run from October 1 through the end of September. The records do not show what explains these changes.
| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 15 | 87 months | 100% |
| 2017 | 26 | 98.5 months | 100% |
| 2018 | 45 | 71 months | 96% |
| 2019 | 41 | 84 months | 95% |
| 2020 | 23 | 58 months | 83% |
| 2021 | 25 | 54 months | 96% |
| 2022 | 40 | 88 months | 85% |
| 2023 | 42 | 82 months | 88% |
| 2024 | 49 | 78 months | 92% |
| 2025 | 48 | 96 months | 98% |
Supervised Release, Restitution, and Criminal History
348 people (98%) were ordered to serve supervised release after prison, with a median term of 36 months. 1 person (less than 1%) received supervised release for life.
A fine was ordered for 3 people (less than 1%), and restitution for 29 people (8%). 25% were in the lowest criminal history category (Category I), and 14% were in the highest (VI). Court-martial records have no criminal history field.
What Is Not in the Records
Only people who were convicted and sentenced are counted. Acquittals and dismissals are missing, and prison terms are those imposed, not time served.
The records do not describe injuries, weapons, or the circumstances of any case.
How We Counted
Everyone sentenced in federal court in the Southern District of New York (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "New York South") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Assault" (354). 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 Southern District of New York, FY2016–2025 (overview)
- Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the Southern District of New York, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the Southern District of New York, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Firearms Sentences in the Southern District of New York, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Robbery Sentences in the Southern District of New York, 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.