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
Federal Other Offense Sentences in the Western District of Texas, FY2016–2025
1,824 people were sentenced in the Western District of Texas in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 under the U.S. Sentencing Commission's offense type "Other". The median prison term was 0.1 months. 907 of the 1,824 were sentenced in fiscal year 2025.
Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the Western District of Texas, FY2016–2025
1,850 people were sentenced for fraud, theft, and embezzlement in the Western District of Texas in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. 74% received a prison term and 24% received probation only. The median prison term was 6 months, and the number sentenced each year fell from 298 in fiscal year 2016 to 82 in
Federal Firearms Sentences in the Western District of Texas, FY2016–2025
2,655 people were sentenced for firearms offenses in the Western District of Texas in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. 94% received a prison term, and the median was 37 months (3.1 years). The median was 37 months in every fiscal year from 2020 on in the table.
Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the Western District of Texas, FY2016–2025
11,373 people were sentenced for drug trafficking in the Western District of Texas in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. 95% received a prison term, and the median was 51 months. The median prison term for these cases was 70 months in fiscal year 2024 and 72 months in fiscal year 2025.
Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the Western District of Texas, FY2016–2025
Immigration cases were 72% of the 76,480 people sentenced in the Western District of Texas in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. 55,237 people were sentenced for immigration offenses, and the median prison term was 7.3 months. More than 99% pleaded guilty.
§2D3.1 Regulatory Offenses Involving Registration Numbers: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2024
In fiscal year 2024, 10 people were sentenced in federal court under §2D3.1, and all 10 pleaded guilty. 5 received a prison term with a median of 4 months, and 5 received probation only.
§2M6.1 Unlawful Activity Involving Nuclear Material, Weapons, or Facilities, Biological Agents, Toxins, or Delivery Systems, Chemical Weapons, or Other Weapons of Mass Destruction: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2018
In fiscal year 2018, 10 people were sentenced in federal court with §2M6.1 as the primary guideline. 8 of them received a prison term, and the median prison term was 157.5 months. The group is small, so the numbers describe those 10 people and do not show a trend.
§2K2.1 Unlawful Receipt, Possession, or Transportation of Firearms or Ammunition: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2019
In fiscal year 2019, 27% of the people sentenced under §2K2.1 received a sentence below the guideline range without a government request, and 53% were within the range. The Commission counted 7,952 people. The median prison term was 40 months (3.3 years), and 97% pleaded guilty.
§2K2.1 Unlawful Receipt, Possession, or Transportation of Firearms or Ammunition: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2018
The Commission counted 7,032 people sentenced under §2K2.1 in fiscal year 2018, a higher count than in fiscal year 2017 (6,366) and lower than in fiscal year 2019 (7,952). The median prison term was 41 months (3.4 years). Of the 7,032, 97% pleaded guilty, and 55% were sentenced within the guideline
§2K2.1 Unlawful Receipt, Possession, or Transportation of Firearms or Ammunition: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2017
In fiscal year 2017, the median prison term under §2K2.1 was 38 months after a guilty plea and 96 months after a trial. The Commission counted 6,366 people, and 236 of them were convicted after a trial. The overall median prison term was 40 months (3.3 years).
§2K2.1 Unlawful Receipt, Possession, or Transportation of Firearms or Ammunition: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2016
In fiscal year 2016, 5,707 people were sentenced under §2K2.1, the firearms guideline. The median prison term was 42 months (3.5 years), which is higher than the 40 months for fiscal years 2016 to 2025 combined. Of the 5,707, 96% pleaded guilty, and 54% were sentenced within the guideline range.
§2L1.2 Unlawfully Entering or Remaining in the United States: Federal Sentences, Fiscal Year 2025
The Commission counted 18,204 people sentenced under §2L1.2 in fiscal year 2025, which is more than the 12,550 in fiscal year 2024. The median prison term was 6 months, compared with 8 months the year before. Of the people with the information, 71% were sentenced within the guideline range.
Go deeper: Military Trial Results (every case, members) · Know Your Judge · Learn Your Lawyer (free)
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