Federal Manslaughter Sentences in the District of Arizona, FY2016–2025
The District of Arizona sentenced 175 people for manslaughter in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, and the median prison term was 72 months (6 years). That is higher than the median of 63 months for this offense type across all 94 federal districts. In Arizona, 41% of sentences were above the guideline ran
· Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Trends › Federal Prosecution Analysis › Federal Sentences in the District of Arizona, FY2016–2025 › Manslaughter: District of Arizona
In brief: The District of Arizona sentenced 175 people for manslaughter in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, and the median prison term was 72 months (6 years). That is higher than the median of 63 months for this offense type across all 94 federal districts. In Arizona, 41% of sentences were above the guideline range.
This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 175 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.
Sentences Above the Guideline Range
The range was recorded for 175 people. Of those, 41% (71) were above it, and 39% (68) were within it. Another 10% (17) were below it at the government's request, and 11% (19) were below it without a request.
For all 94 districts, 45% of manslaughter sentences were within the range. For all offenses in this district, 35% were. A sentence above the range means the court imposed more than the guideline calculation called for.
Prison Terms and Probation
Of the 175 people, 169 (97%) received a prison term, and 6 (3%) received probation only, with no prison or other confinement.
The median prison term was 72 months. A quarter received 120 months or more, and a quarter received 37 months or less. For all districts, 96% of 743 people were sent to prison. For all offenses in this district, the median was 9 months.
2 Guidelines, Equal Use
"Manslaughter" is the U.S. Sentencing Commission's offense type. The primary guideline was §2A1.4 (Involuntary Manslaughter) for 87 people and §2A1.3 (Voluntary Manslaughter) for 87 people. One person was sentenced under §2X3.1 (Accessory After the Fact).
These cases were less than 1% of the 47,716 people sentenced in the district. The records here do not give the median for each guideline separately.
Pleas and Trials
Of the 175 people, 170 (97%) pleaded guilty, and 5 were convicted after a trial. Among guilty pleas, 98% had a written plea agreement and 2% did not.
After a guilty plea, the median prison term was 72 months. After a trial, it was 156 months, based on 5 people convicted at trial and sent to prison. With only 5 trial cases, that figure is a weak basis for any comparison.
Restitution, Supervised Release, and Criminal History
Restitution was ordered for 94 people (54%), and a fine for 2 (1%). Supervised release was ordered for 169 (97%), with a median term of 36 months.
A mandatory minimum applied to 4 of the 172 people with that information recorded (2%). In criminal history, 59% were in the lowest category I and 2% in the highest (VI). Court-martial records have no criminal history field.
Yearly Counts Are Small
Fiscal years 2016 to 2019 had 92 people, and fiscal years 2020 to 2025 had 83. Yearly counts ranged from 9 to 25, which is small. Yearly medians ranged from 40.5 months to 132 months.
These figures should not be read as a trend, and the records give no reason for them. Courts-martial for Davis-Monthan AFB, Fort Huachuca, Luke AFB, and Marine Corps Air Station Yuma are tried in military courts, not in this district court.
| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 20 | 96 months | 100% |
| 2017 | 23 | 96.5 months | 100% |
| 2018 | 25 | 40.5 months | 100% |
| 2019 | 24 | 54.2 months | 96% |
| 2020 | 9 | 78 months | 9 of 9 |
| 2021 | 12 | 75.5 months | 100% |
| 2022 | 20 | 132 months | 90% |
| 2023 | 17 | 72 months | 94% |
| 2024 | 11 | 87 months | 100% |
| 2025 | 14 | 63 months | 93% |
How We Counted
Everyone sentenced in federal court in the District of Arizona (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Arizona") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Manslaughter" (175). 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 Arizona, FY2016–2025 (overview)
- Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the District of Arizona, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the District of Arizona, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Drug Possession Sentences in the District of Arizona, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the District of Arizona, 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.