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# Federal Murder Sentences in the Northern District of Georgia, FY2016–2025
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-murder-sentences-northern-district-of-georgia/
- Published: 2026-11-04T11:03:07.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-04T11:03:07.000Z
- Description: 37 people were sentenced for murder offenses in the Northern District of Georgia in fiscal years 2017 to 2023, and all 37 received a prison term. The median prison term was 180 months (15 years), compared with 240 months for this offense type across all 94 districts. 2 people received a life sentenc
- Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart
- Tags: Understanding Trends, Federal

[Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) › [Federal Sentences in the Northern District of Georgia, FY201](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-northern-district-of-georgia/) › Murder: Northern District of Georgia

**In brief:** 37 people were sentenced for murder offenses in the Northern District of Georgia in fiscal years 2017 to 2023, and all 37 received a prison term. The median prison term was 180 months (15 years), compared with 240 months for this offense type across all 94 districts. 2 people received a life sentence.

Updated November 4, 2026 · Sources: U.S. Sentencing Commission and Federal Judicial Center, fiscal years 2016–2025

This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 37 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](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) series, which builds on [Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/military-sentencing-guidelines-federal-system/). How the numbers were built: [How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-data-methodology/).

## Every Case Ended in Prison

37 of the 37 people (100%) received a prison term, and 0 received probation only. Across all 94 districts, more than 99% were sent to prison.

The median prison term was 180 months (15 years). A quarter received 314.3 months or more, and a quarter received 120 months or less. 2 people received a life sentence. The all-district median of 240 months was higher than the median here, and the median for all offenses in the Northern District of Georgia was 41 months.

## Pleas Were Less Common Than in the Rest of the District

29 of the 37 people (78%) pleaded guilty, and 8 were convicted after a trial. Across all districts, 78% pleaded guilty, the same share as here. For all offenses in this district, the figure was 96%.

The median prison term after a guilty plea was 144 months. After a trial it was 390 months, based on 8 people. Only 8 people were in the trial group, and the records do not say what else differed between the sets of cases.

Among the guilty pleas, 93% had a written plea agreement and 3% were straight pleas.

## Guidelines and Group Size

"Murder" is the U.S. Sentencing Commission's name for the offense type. The most common primary guideline was §2A1.1, First Degree Murder, with 29 people. Next was §2A1.5, Conspiracy or Solicitation to Commit Murder, with 7, and §2A1.2, Second Degree Murder, had 1.

Murder cases were less than 1% of the 5,362 people sentenced in the district in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. 5 were sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2019, and 32 in fiscal years 2020 to 2025.

## Sentences Against the Guideline Range

All 37 people had a guideline range recorded. 8% (3) were sentenced within the range. 73% (27) were below it at the government's request, and 19% (7) were below it without a government request. None was above the range.

Across all districts, 39% of sentences for this offense type were within the range. For all offenses in this district, the figure was 32%. The share within the range was lower here than in either group.

A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 13 of the 37 people (35%).

## Supervised Release and Other Orders

37 people (100%) were ordered to serve supervised release after prison, with a median term of 60 months. No fine or restitution was ordered for any of them (0 for each).

30% were in the lowest criminal history category, category I, and 8% were in the highest, category VI. Court-martial records have no criminal history field.

## Yearly Counts

The table shows fiscal years 2017 to 2023, with 2 to 11 people in each year with cases. The median prison term was 278.5 months in fiscal year 2017, 270 months in fiscal year 2020, and 168 months in fiscal year 2023\. 11 people were sentenced in fiscal year 2021, the highest count.

With so few people per year, no trend can be read from the table.

| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
| ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- |
| 2017        | 2                | 278.5 months  | 2 of 2         |
| 2019        | 3                | 128.5 months  | 3 of 3         |
| 2020        | 8                | 270 months    | 4 of 8         |
| 2021        | 11               | 235 months    | 82%            |
| 2022        | 10               | 192 months    | 80%            |
| 2023        | 3                | 168 months    | 3 of 3         |

## What Cannot Be Determined

The Commission data covers people who were convicted and sentenced, and leaves out acquittals and dismissals. Each prison term is the term imposed by the court, which is different from time served.

Nothing here describes the facts of a case. The sheet also cannot show how first degree murder cases compare with the 7 conspiracy or solicitation cases in sentence length.

### How We Counted

Everyone sentenced in federal court in the Northern District of Georgia (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Georgia North") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Murder" (37). 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](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/military-sentencing-guidelines-federal-system/) (the background article)
- [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) (all federal posts)
- [How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-data-methodology/) (sources and method)
- [Federal Sentences in the Northern District of Georgia, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-northern-district-of-georgia/) (overview)
- [Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the Northern District of Georgia, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-trafficking-sentences-northern-district-of-georgia/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the Northern District of Georgia, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-fraud-theft-embezzlement-sentences-northern-district-of-georgia/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the Northern District of Georgia, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-immigration-sentences-northern-district-of-georgia/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Firearms Sentences in the Northern District of Georgia, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-firearms-sentences-northern-district-of-georgia/) (same district, other offense type)
- [U.S. Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles](https://www.ussc.gov/research/datafiles/commission-datafiles?ref=bodiesburied.com) (source)
- [Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (criminal defendants)](https://www.fjc.gov/research/idb?ref=bodiesburied.com) (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](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/?ref=bodiesburied.com). This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.