Military Trial Results · Analysis
Understanding Trends in Military Practice
Analysis of real court-martial records: what gets charged, how cases end, what sentences look like, how experienced the lawyers of record were, and what changed when the law did.
Every number is computed from the Military Trial Results data, built from the services' public court-martial records. Each post says how many cases it rests on, the years covered, and how we counted. Read how this data was built before citing it.
Browse the Analysis
- By InstallationBases and regions, by time period
- By OffenseUCMJ articles, rising and falling charges
- By ServiceArmy, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps
- By YearWhat each year and month looked like
- SentencesConfinement, discharges, judge alone vs. members
- Counsel ExperiencePrior cases of the lawyers of record
- Law ChangesBefore and after the major reforms
- Episode CompanionsThe numbers behind podcast episodes
Federal Prosecution Analysis
How do federal prosecutions compare with courts-martial? These posts use the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of everyone sentenced in federal court and the Federal Judicial Center's records of every federal defendant whose case ended, including dismissals and acquittals, for fiscal years 2016 to 2025. They cover sentences, guilty pleas, trials and acquittals, mandatory minimums, and supervised release, offense by offense. Where a federal crime has a close counterpart in the UCMJ, the post sets the two side by side. Where it doesn't, the post reports the federal numbers on their own. For how military law has moved toward the federal system, start with Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System.
Latest Analysis
§2D1.11 Unlawfully Distributing, Importing, Exporting or Possessing a Listed Chemical: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2016
Fiscal year 2016 was the largest year for §2D1.11 in the 10-year table, with 76 people sentenced in federal court. Of the 76, 69 (91%) received prison, with a median term of 41 months, and all 76 (100%) pleaded guilty. Only 21 sentences (28%) were within the guideline range.
§2R1.1 Bid-Rigging, Price-Fixing or Market-Allocation Agreements Among Competitors: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2025
In fiscal year 2025, 2 of the 18 people sentenced under §2R1.1 were convicted after a trial, and their median prison term was 33.5 months. The median after a guilty plea was 6 months. 9 people (50%) were sent to prison, and 16 (89%) pleaded guilty.
§2R1.1 Bid-Rigging, Price-Fixing or Market-Allocation Agreements Among Competitors: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2023
In fiscal year 2023, 9 of the 17 people sentenced under §2R1.1 (53%) were sent to prison, with a median prison term of 6 months. 5 (29%) received probation only. All 17 pleaded guilty, and all 17 were in the lowest criminal history category.
§2R1.1 Bid-Rigging, Price-Fixing or Market-Allocation Agreements Among Competitors: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2019
In fiscal year 2019, 17 of the 20 people sentenced under §2R1.1 (85%) received a prison term, and 0 received probation only. The median prison term was 4 months. All 20 pleaded guilty.
§2R1.1 Bid-Rigging, Price-Fixing or Market-Allocation Agreements Among Competitors: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2018
53 people were sentenced in fiscal year 2018 with §2R1.1 as the primary guideline, the largest yearly count from 2016 to 2025. 17 (32%) were sent to prison, with a median prison term of 8 months, and 17 (32%) received probation only. Restitution was ordered for 42 (79%).
§2R1.1 Bid-Rigging, Price-Fixing or Market-Allocation Agreements Among Competitors: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2017
In fiscal year 2017, 20 of the 26 people sentenced under §2R1.1 (77%) pleaded guilty, and 6 were convicted after a trial. Guilty pleas were less common than in the all-years figure of 91%. 10 people (38%) were sent to prison, with a median prison term of 11 months.
§2R1.1 Bid-Rigging, Price-Fixing or Market-Allocation Agreements Among Competitors: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2016
In fiscal year 2016, 17 of the 19 people sentenced under §2R1.1 (89%) received a sentence below the guideline range at the government's request, and 0 were sentenced within the range. 7 (37%) were sent to prison, with a median prison term of 5 months, and 12 (63%) received probation only.
§2K1.3 Unlawful Receipt, Possession, or Transportation of Explosive Materials: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2025
Fiscal year 2025 had 15 people sentenced under §2K1.3, with a median prison term of 6.2 months, the lowest in the 10-year table. Of the 15, 13 (87%) received prison. All 15 (100%) pleaded guilty, and a quarter of those sent to prison received 1 month or less.
§2K1.3 Unlawful Receipt, Possession, or Transportation of Explosive Materials: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2024
In fiscal year 2024, 14 people were sentenced under §2K1.3, and 7 sentences (50%) were below the guideline range at the government's request. The median prison term was 18 months. All 14 (100%) pleaded guilty.
§2K1.3 Unlawful Receipt, Possession, or Transportation of Explosive Materials: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2023
In fiscal year 2023, 20 people were sentenced with §2K1.3 as the primary guideline. Of those, 14 (70%) received prison, with a median term of 16.5 months, and 6 (30%) received probation only. In addition, 9 sentences (45%) were below the range at the government's request.
§2K1.3 Unlawful Receipt, Possession, or Transportation of Explosive Materials: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2021
In fiscal year 2021, 17 people were sentenced under §2K1.3. The median prison term was 20.5 months, and a quarter of those sent to prison received 2.2 months or less. All 17 (100%) pleaded guilty, and no one was ordered to pay restitution.
§2K1.3 Unlawful Receipt, Possession, or Transportation of Explosive Materials: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2020
In fiscal year 2020, 19 people were sentenced in federal court with §2K1.3 as the primary guideline. The median prison term was 18 months, the same as for the all-years figure under this guideline. All 19 (100%) pleaded guilty, and 3 sentences (16%) were above the guideline range.
Go deeper: Military Trial Results (every case, members) · Know Your Judge · Learn Your Lawyer (free)
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