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 Firearms Sentences in the Southern District of Illinois, FY2016–2025
In the Southern District of Illinois, 470 people were sentenced for firearms offenses in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. The median prison term was 48 months (4 years), higher than the 42 months for this offense type in all 94 districts together. 98% pleaded guilty, and 61% of sentences were within the g
Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the Southern District of Illinois, FY2016–2025
Drug trafficking was the largest offense type in the Southern District of Illinois: 1,033 of the 2,576 people sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, or 40%. The median prison term was 108 months (9 years), compared with 60 months for this offense type in all 94 federal districts together. 99% of th
Federal Commercialized Vice Sentences in the Central District of Illinois, FY2016–2025
All 12 people sentenced for commercialized vice offenses in the Central District of Illinois were sentenced in fiscal years 2017 to 2020. All 12 pleaded guilty and all 12 received a prison term. The median prison term was 19 months, and 10 of the 12 cases used the gambling offenses guideline.
Federal Stalking and Harassment Sentences in the Central District of Illinois, FY2016–2025
In fiscal years 2016 to 2025, 12 people were sentenced in the Central District of Illinois for stalking and harassing offenses. Of those, 10 (83%) received a prison term, with a median of 33 months (2.8 years), and 2 (17%) received probation only. That median is higher than the 24 months for all 94
Federal Forgery, Counterfeiting, and Copyright Sentences in the Central District of Illinois, FY2016–2025
All 17 people sentenced in the Central District of Illinois under the Commission's forgery, counterfeiting, and copyright category had the same primary guideline: §2B5.1 (Offenses Involving Counterfeit Bearer Obligations of the United States). Of the 17, 16 (94%) received a prison term, with a media
Federal Administration of Justice Offense Sentences in the Central District of Illinois, FY2016–2025
In the Central District of Illinois, 17 people were sentenced for administration of justice offenses in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. Of those, 12 (71%) received a prison term and 2 (12%) received probation only. The median prison term was 16 months, and 16 of the 17 (94%) pleaded guilty.
Federal Obscenity and Other Sex Offense Sentences in the Central District of Illinois, FY2016–2025
Of the 20 people sentenced for obscenity and other sex offenses in the Central District of Illinois, 18 had failure to register as a sex offender as the primary guideline. All 20 pleaded guilty and all 20 received a prison term, with a median of 20.5 months. That median is higher than the 18 months
Federal Murder Sentences in the Central District of Illinois, FY2016–2025
In the Central District of Illinois, 21 people were sentenced for murder offenses in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, and all 21 received a prison term. The median prison term was 240 months (20 years), and 3 people received a life sentence. Only 6 of the 21 (29%) pleaded guilty, while 15 were convicted a
Federal Other Offense Sentences in the Central District of Illinois, FY2016–2025
In the Central District of Illinois, 23 people were sentenced in the Commission's "Other" offense category in fiscal years 2016 to 2024. Of these, 13 (57%) received a prison term and 8 (35%) received probation only. The median prison term was 2 months.
Federal Tax Offense Sentences in the Central District of Illinois, FY2016–2025
Of 26 people sentenced for tax offenses in the Central District of Illinois in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, 24 (92%) received a prison term. The median was 15 months, about the same as the 15.1 months across all 94 districts, where 66% were sent to prison.
Federal Prison Offense Sentences in the Central District of Illinois, FY2016–2025
In the Central District of Illinois, 30 of 32 people (94%) sentenced for prison offenses in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 received a prison term, and 2 (6%) received probation only. The median prison term was 12 months, compared with 10 months across all 94 districts.
Federal Money Laundering Sentences in the Central District of Illinois, FY2016–2025
All 34 people sentenced for money laundering in the Central District of Illinois in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 received a prison term. The median was 36 months, compared with 40 months for money laundering across all 94 districts, where 88% were sent to prison.
Go deeper: Military Trial Results (every case, members) · Know Your Judge · Learn Your Lawyer (free)
Get the free newsletter.
Clips, audiograms and the opening of every issue, free.