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
18 U.S.C. 842, Unlawful acts: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025
Under 18 U.S.C. 842, 136 of the 190 defendants convicted in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 (72%) received a prison term on that charge, and the median term was 29 months (2.4 years). In all, 208 federal defendants had this section as their most serious charge when the case ended. Of them, 185 (89%) plead
18 U.S.C. 876, Mailing threatening communications: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025
Of the 192 people convicted under 18 U.S.C. 876 in federal cases that ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, 170 (89%) received a prison term on that charge. The median term was 42 months (3.5 years) for those with a term of 1 month or more. Most of the 214 defendants pleaded guilty (84%), and 5 of 17
21 U.S.C. 848, Continuing criminal enterprise: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025
None of the 39 federal trials on a most serious charge under 21 U.S.C. 848 ended in an acquittal in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. Of the 215 defendants counted, 118 (55%) pleaded guilty, 58 (27%) had their cases dismissed, and 39 (18%) went to trial. Among those with a prison term, the median was 240 m
18 U.S.C. 2242, Sexual abuse: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025
Of 44 federal trials under 18 U.S.C. 2242 that ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, 21 ended in an acquittal (48%). Those trials came from 227 defendants in all, and most of the 227 pleaded guilty: 161, or 71%. Of the 184 convicted, 182 (99%) received a prison term on that charge, and the median was
18 U.S.C. 513, Securities of the States and private entities: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025
Of 227 federal defendants whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 with 18 U.S.C. 513 as the most serious charge, 196 (86%) pleaded guilty and 30 (13%) had their charges dismissed. Only 1 went to trial. Of the 197 convicted, 152 (77%) received a prison term, with a median of 24 months (2 years
18 U.S.C. 911, Citizen of the United States: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025
None of the 234 federal defendants whose cases under 18 U.S.C. 911 ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 went to trial. Guilty pleas ended 220 cases (94%), and 14 (6%) were dismissed. Of the 220 convicted, 213 (97%) received a prison term on that charge, and the median term was 6 months.
18 U.S.C. 1382, Entering military, naval, or Coast Guard property: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025
Every one of the 241 federal cases that ended under 18 U.S.C. 1382 in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 was recorded as a petty offense. Guilty pleas ended 232 of them (96%), and only 1 went to trial. Few of those convicted received a prison term on this charge: 21 of 233 (9%), with a median term of 2 month
18 U.S.C. 1163, Embezzlement and theft from Indian tribal organizations: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025
In fiscal years 2016 to 2025, 245 federal defendants had a case end with 18 U.S.C. 1163 as the most serious charge, and 215 (88%) were convicted. Most of those convictions came from guilty pleas: 212 (87%). Of those convicted, 92 (43%) received a prison term on this charge, and the median term was 9
18 U.S.C. 152, Concealment of assets; false oaths and claims; bribery: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025
Federal records list 251 defendants whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 with a most serious charge under 18 U.S.C. 152. Of the 15 who went to trial, 5 were acquitted (33%), and 220 of the 251 (88%) were convicted overall. Prison terms were less common than in many federal offenses: 119 of
18 U.S.C. 1711, Misappropriation of postal funds: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025
None of the 253 federal defendants charged mainly under 18 U.S.C. 1711 whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 went to trial. Of them, 221 (87%) pleaded guilty and 32 (13%) had their cases dismissed. A prison term on the charge was rare: 16 of the 221 convicted (7%) received one, with a media
26 U.S.C. 7203, Willful failure to file return, supply information, or pay tax: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025
Most federal charges under 26 U.S.C. 7203 were Class A misdemeanors: 186 of 254 (73%) in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, with 68 (27%) recorded as felonies. Of the 237 defendants convicted, 103 (43%) received a prison term on that charge, and the median term was 12 months. Guilty pleas ended 225 cases (8
18 U.S.C. 1425, Procurement of citizenship or naturalization unlawfully: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025
Under 18 U.S.C. 1425, 260 federal defendants had their cases end in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. Of those, 161 (62%) pleaded guilty, 71 (27%) had their cases dismissed, and 28 (11%) went to trial, where 2 were acquitted. The median prison term on this charge was 7.5 months, and 114 of the 187 convicte
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