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
§2A5.2 Interference with Flight Crew Member or Flight Attendant: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2018
All 18 people sentenced under guideline §2A5.2 in fiscal year 2018 pleaded guilty. Prison went to 9 of them (50%), 7 (39%) received probation only, and the median prison term was 6.1 months. The within-range share of sentences was 72%, higher than the 59% for all fiscal years 2016 to 2025.
§2A5.2 Interference with Flight Crew Member or Flight Attendant: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2017
Under guideline §2A5.2 in fiscal year 2017, 12 of the 20 people sentenced (60%) received a prison term, and the median prison term was 6.5 months. Another 6 people (30%) received probation only. The count of 20 people is lower than the 32 in fiscal year 2016.
§2A5.2 Interference with Flight Crew Member or Flight Attendant: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2016
In fiscal year 2016, 32 people were sentenced in federal court under guideline §2A5.2, the highest count for this guideline in the table. Prison went to 23 of them (72%), with a median prison term of 9 months, and 29 (91%) pleaded guilty. The median is higher than the 8 months across fiscal years 20
§2N2.1 Violations of Statutes and Regulations Dealing With Any Food, Drug, Biological Product, Device, Cosmetic, or Agricultural Product: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2025
None of the 26 people sentenced under guideline §2N2.1 in fiscal year 2025 received a prison term (0%). Probation only was the sentence for 25 people (96%), and all 26 pleaded guilty. Because no one went to prison, the data has no median prison term for the year.
§2N2.1 Violations of Statutes and Regulations Dealing With Any Food, Drug, Biological Product, Device, Cosmetic, or Agricultural Product: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2024
In fiscal year 2024, 1 of the 22 people sentenced under guideline §2N2.1 (5%) received a prison term of 18 months. The other 21 (95%) received probation only. All 22 pleaded guilty, and 100% were in the lowest criminal history category.
§2N2.1 Violations of Statutes and Regulations Dealing With Any Food, Drug, Biological Product, Device, Cosmetic, or Agricultural Product: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2023
Fines were ordered for 17 of the 25 people (68%) sentenced under guideline §2N2.1 in fiscal year 2023, which was a more common outcome than prison. Prison went to 4 people (16%), with a median prison term of 0.5 months. Probation only went to 19 people (76%).
§2N2.1 Violations of Statutes and Regulations Dealing With Any Food, Drug, Biological Product, Device, Cosmetic, or Agricultural Product: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2022
Under guideline §2N2.1 in fiscal year 2022, 9 of the 21 people sentenced (43%) received a prison term, and 12 (57%) received probation only. The median prison term was 4 months, the same as the median for all fiscal years 2016 to 2025. Of the 21 people, 20 pleaded guilty.
§2N2.1 Violations of Statutes and Regulations Dealing With Any Food, Drug, Biological Product, Device, Cosmetic, or Agricultural Product: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2021
In fiscal year 2021, 7 of the 26 people sentenced under guideline §2N2.1 (27%) received a prison term, and 15 (58%) received probation only. The median prison term was 1.2 months. Of the 26 people, 24 (92%) pleaded guilty.
§2N2.1 Violations of Statutes and Regulations Dealing With Any Food, Drug, Biological Product, Device, Cosmetic, or Agricultural Product: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2020
Fiscal year 2020 had the smallest count of the fiscal years 2016 to 2025 under guideline §2N2.1: 17 people. Of them, 15 (88%) pleaded guilty and 2 were convicted after a trial. Prison went to 3 people (18%), with a median prison term of 36 months.
§2N2.1 Violations of Statutes and Regulations Dealing With Any Food, Drug, Biological Product, Device, Cosmetic, or Agricultural Product: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2019
In fiscal year 2019, the U.S. Sentencing Commission counted 28 people sentenced under guideline §2N2.1. Of them, 27 (96%) pleaded guilty and 1 was convicted after a trial. Prison went to 2 people (7%), with a median prison term of 9 months.
§2N2.1 Violations of Statutes and Regulations Dealing With Any Food, Drug, Biological Product, Device, Cosmetic, or Agricultural Product: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2018
In fiscal year 2018, 26 of the 28 people sentenced under guideline §2N2.1 (93%) received a sentence within the guideline range. Prison went to 4 people (14%), with a median prison term of 2.5 months, and 24 (86%) received probation only.
§2N2.1 Violations of Statutes and Regulations Dealing With Any Food, Drug, Biological Product, Device, Cosmetic, or Agricultural Product: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2017
Only 2 of the 28 people sentenced under guideline §2N2.1 in fiscal year 2017 (7%) received a prison term. The median prison term for those 2 people was 30 months, while 25 people (89%) received probation only. All 28 pleaded guilty.
Go deeper: Military Trial Results (every case, members) · Know Your Judge · Learn Your Lawyer (free)
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