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
§2B3.1 Robbery: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2018
A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 672 of the 1,691 people sentenced under §2B3.1 in fiscal year 2018, which is 40%. Restitution was ordered for 72%. The median prison term was 90 months, or 7.5 years.
§2B3.1 Robbery: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2017
Among the 1,523 people sent to prison under §2B3.1 in fiscal year 2017, the median prison term was 84 months, which is lower than the median in any other year in the table below. The Commission counted 1,544 people sentenced under the guideline. A mandatory minimum applied to 37%.
§2B3.1 Robbery: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2016
In fiscal year 2016, the median prison term for the 91 people convicted at trial under §2B3.1 was 230 months, compared with 84 months after a guilty plea. The Commission counted 1,582 people sentenced under this guideline, and the overall median prison term was 87 months. A mandatory minimum applied
§2L1.1 Smuggling, Transporting, or Harboring an Unlawful Alien: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2025
Fiscal year 2025 is the latest year in the data for §2L1.1. The U.S. Sentencing Commission counted 3,957 people sentenced, and the median prison term was 12 months. A quarter of the people sent to prison received 5.6 months or less, and 53% of all sentences were within the guideline range.
§2L1.1 Smuggling, Transporting, or Harboring an Unlawful Alien: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2024
In fiscal year 2024, 52% of the 4,345 people sentenced under §2L1.1 received a sentence within the guideline range, and 33% were below it at the government's request. The median prison term was 12 months. The within-range share was higher than the 40% in fiscal year 2023.
§2L1.1 Smuggling, Transporting, or Harboring an Unlawful Alien: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2023
Fiscal year 2023 has the highest count in the table for §2L1.1, with 4,731 people sentenced. Their median prison term was 12 months, and fines were ordered for 752 people (16%). Guilty pleas made up more than 99% of the cases.
§2L1.1 Smuggling, Transporting, or Harboring an Unlawful Alien: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2022
In fiscal year 2022, the most common position against the guideline range for §2L1.1 cases was below the range at the government's request: 49% of 4,052 people with the information. Only 38% were sentenced within the range. The median prison term was 12 months.
§2L1.1 Smuggling, Transporting, or Harboring an Unlawful Alien: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2021
Probation only was the sentence for 377 people (11%) of the 3,551 sentenced under §2L1.1 in fiscal year 2021. Among the 2,999 people sent to prison (84%), the median term was 13 months, and a quarter received 24 months or more. Guilty pleas were more than 99% of the cases.
§2L1.1 Smuggling, Transporting, or Harboring an Unlawful Alien: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2020
In fiscal year 2020, 84% of the 3,392 people sentenced under §2L1.1 received a prison term, and 10% received probation only. The median prison term was 11.4 months. Sentences were within the guideline range for 41%, and 41% were below it at the government's request.
§2L1.1 Smuggling, Transporting, or Harboring an Unlawful Alien: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2019
Of the 3,487 people sentenced under §2L1.1 in fiscal year 2019, 99% pleaded guilty, and 92% of those pleas came with a written plea agreement. The median prison term was 12 months. The count was higher than the 2,843 people in fiscal year 2018.
§2L1.1 Smuggling, Transporting, or Harboring an Unlawful Alien: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2018
For fiscal year 2018, the U.S. Sentencing Commission reports 2,843 people sentenced under §2L1.1. The median prison term was 12 months, and a quarter of the people sent to prison received 7.4 months or less. Sentences were within the guideline range for 39% of the people.
§2L1.1 Smuggling, Transporting, or Harboring an Unlawful Alien: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2017
In fiscal year 2017, federal courts sentenced 2,765 people in cases whose primary guideline was §2L1.1. Of the 2,454 people (89%) who went to prison, the median term was 13 months. In criminal history, 58% of the people were in the lowest category, and 89% of the guilty pleas had a written plea agre
Go deeper: Military Trial Results (every case, members) · Know Your Judge · Learn Your Lawyer (free)
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