Obstruction of Justice Sentences in 2024: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial
Federal obstruction of justice sentences were longer than court-martial sentences in 2024. The median federal prison term in fiscal year 2024 was 27 months (2.2 years) for 148 people sentenced under guideline §2J1.2, while the median court-martial confinement was 8.9 months across 43 convictions. Co
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In brief: Federal obstruction of justice sentences were longer than court-martial sentences in 2024. The median federal prison term in fiscal year 2024 was 27 months (2.2 years) for 148 people sentenced under guideline §2J1.2, while the median court-martial confinement was 8.9 months across 43 convictions. Confinement of some kind was ordered in 81% of the court-martial cases and 70% of the federal cases.
This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 148 people sentenced in federal court in fiscal year 2024, compared with court-martial results from this site's Military Trial Results data (updated November 2, 2026). 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.
Median Sentences, Side by Side
The federal median of 27 months applies to the 104 people who received a prison term. A quarter of them received 42.2 months or more, and a quarter received 12 months or less. Another 31 people (21%) received probation only.
At court-martial, 35 of 43 convictions (81%) included confinement, with a median of 8.9 months. A quarter of sentences were 24 months or more.
Court-martial confinement is the sentence adjudged at trial, before clemency or appeal. The federal figure is the prison term imposed, not time served.
| Courts-martial, 2024 | Federal court, FY2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Convictions or people sentenced | 43 | 148 |
| Sentenced to confinement or prison | 81% | 70% |
| Median confinement or prison | 8.9 months | 27 months |
| A quarter received this or more | 24 months | 42.2 months |
| Pleaded guilty | 25 of 42 with a plea recorded (60%) | 80% |
| Mandatory minimum applied | See the caveats | 1 of 148 with the information (less than 1%) |
The Groups Behind the Numbers
Court-martial records list 43 convictions for obstruction of justice (Article 131b) with a 2024 trial date: Army 25, Air Force 4, Navy 6, and Marine Corps 8. These are calendar-year counts by trial date.
The federal group covers fiscal year 2024, from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024. It counts people sentenced under the obstruction guideline, not convictions under a single statute.
Did Pleading Guilty Make a Difference in Sentence Length?
At court-martial, 25 of 42 convictions with a plea recorded (60%) were guilty pleas. The median confinement after a guilty plea was 6.5 months (24 cases with confinement). For contested cases ending in conviction, it was 17.6 months (10 cases with confinement).
Federal guilty pleas were more common, at 80%: 118 of 148, with 30 people convicted after a trial. The median prison term was 22.5 months after a plea and 36.5 months after a trial, based on 28 people convicted at trial and sent to prison. Of federal guilty pleas, 95% had a written plea agreement and 4% were straight pleas.
In both systems, sentences after a contested case or trial were longer at the median. The records do not show whether the cases that went to trial were different in other ways.
Punitive Discharges and Court Level
Of 41 enlisted members convicted, 29 (71%) received a punitive discharge, including 8 dishonorable and 21 bad-conduct discharges. Officers convicted numbered 2, and 1 was dismissed. General courts-martial heard 27 of the 43 convictions (63%).
Federal Guidelines, Release, and Payments
Of the 148 federal sentences, 35% (52) were within the guideline range and 7% (11) were above it. Below-range sentences without a government request made up 36% (54), and those at the government's request made up 21% (31).
A mandatory minimum applied to 1 person (less than 1%). Supervised release was ordered for 104 (70%), with a median term of 36 months. Restitution was ordered for 42 (28%) and a fine for 27 (18%). Criminal history category I covered 76%, and category VI covered 4%. Court-martial records have no criminal history field.
Federal Trend Table
For context, the data holds 329 court-martial convictions from 2016 to 2025 (median confinement 10 months) and 1,256 federal sentences from fiscal years 2016 to 2025 (median prison term 18 months).
| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 131 | 15 months | 82% |
| 2017 | 130 | 14 months | 92% |
| 2018 | 136 | 18 months | 88% |
| 2019 | 131 | 12 months | 86% |
| 2020 | 107 | 12 months | 91% |
| 2021 | 85 | 18.3 months | 86% |
| 2022 | 111 | 21 months | 88% |
| 2023 | 163 | 24 months | 55% |
| 2024 | 148 | 27 months | 80% |
| 2025 | 114 | 18 months | 85% |
What Is Missing
These records hold counts and sentence lengths only. They do not describe the obstruction at issue in each case, the other offenses charged alongside it, or any later change to a sentence. A single year of 43 convictions is too small to show a trend.
How We Counted
Courts-martial with a trial date in 2024 ending in a conviction for obstruction of justice (Article 131b) (43). Federal: people sentenced in fiscal year 2024 under guideline §2J1.2 (obstruction of justice) (148), U.S. Sentencing Commission.
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
Who is in each set of numbers. The federal sentencing numbers come from the U.S. Sentencing Commission. They count only people who were convicted and sentenced in federal district court. People whose cases were dismissed or who were acquitted are not in them. The military numbers come from court-martial results, which include acquittals. To compare acquittal or dismissal rates, the federal side uses a different source: the Federal Judicial Center's case data, which counts every defendant whose case ended.
Different cases reach each system. Federal prosecutors bring a narrow set of cases. In fiscal year 2024, immigration and drug trafficking cases were 59% of everyone sentenced in federal court (36,664 of 61,678). Many crimes that the military prosecutes, such as most assaults, most sexual assaults between adults, and drug use, are usually state crimes for civilians and reach federal court only in special situations, such as on federal land or in Indian Country. A federal case and a court-martial for the same crime can involve different kinds of facts.
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.
Military confinement credit and parole. For military sentences adjudged after 2004, good conduct time is 5 days for each month of confinement, about 16%. Military prisoners can also earn up to 8 more days a month for work and programs and up to 2 days a month for special acts, with a limit of 15 days a month in total. Military prisoners can be considered for parole by their service's clemency and parole board. The military numbers in this post are the confinement adjudged at trial, not the time served.
Military sentences include punishments federal sentences do not. A court-martial sentence can include a punitive discharge (bad-conduct discharge, dishonorable discharge, or dismissal for officers), reduction in rank, and forfeiture of pay. These have no federal counterpart. A comparison of months of confinement leaves them out. A short confinement term combined with a dishonorable discharge is a heavier sentence than the months alone show.
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.
Offense categories do not line up exactly. Each comparison uses a federal offense group chosen to match the military article as closely as possible (see the crosswalk). Some matches are close; others are partial. The post says which federal guideline or statute was used and why it is not an exact match.
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)
- Obstruction of Justice and Perjury: Federal vs. Court-Martial Sentences (overview)
- Obstruction of Justice Sentences in 2023: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial (previous or next year)
- Obstruction of Justice Sentences in 2025: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial (previous or next year)
- Obstruction of Justice Sentences Since the 2023 Military Sentencing Reform: What the Data Shows So Far
- Obstruction of Justice: Federal Sentences vs. Air Force Courts-Martial
- Obstruction of Justice: Federal Sentences vs. Army Courts-Martial
- Obstruction of Justice: Federal Sentences vs. Marine Corps Courts-Martial, 2016–2025
- Obstruction of Justice: Federal Sentences vs. Navy Courts-Martial, 2016–2025
- Obstruction of Justice: Courts-Martial at Camp Lejeune vs. Federal Court in the Eastern District of North Carolina
- Obstruction of Justice: Courts-Martial at Camp Pendleton vs. Federal Court in the Southern District of California
- Obstruction of Justice: Courts-Martial at Fort Bliss vs. Federal Court in the Western District of Texas
- How Has Article 131b Changed in Army Courts-Martial Since 2021? (court-martial data)
- How Much Confinement for an Article 131b Conviction in the Army? (court-martial data)
- How Often Are Contested Army Article 131b Cases Acquitted? (court-martial data)
- Pleading Guilty to Article 131b in the Army: What Sentences Followed? (court-martial data)
- Air Force Article 131b Cases by the Numbers, 2016–2025 (court-martial data)
- What Sentence Follows an Air Force Obstruction Conviction? (court-martial data)
- Pleading Guilty to Article 131b in the Air Force: What Sentences Followed? (court-martial data)
- Is Navy-Marine Corps Obstruction Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 131b, 2017–2025 (court-martial data)
- How Much Confinement for an Article 131b Conviction in the Navy-Marine Corps? (court-martial data)
- Not Guilty Pleas in Navy-Marine Corps Article 131b Cases: What Happened at Trial (court-martial data)
- Pleading Guilty to Article 131b in the Navy-Marine Corps: What Sentences Followed? (court-martial data)
- Article 131b (Obstruction, Numbered Since 2019): Court-Martial Data and Trends (court-martial data)
- Article 131b UCMJ: Obstructing Justice (law firm reference page)
- 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.