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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.

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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.

See all federal prosecution analysis

Latest Analysis

  • Federal Marijuana Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2017

    Of the 2,730 people sentenced for federal marijuana trafficking in fiscal year 2017, 35% (966) received a sentence below the guideline range at the government's request, and 45% (1,235) were sentenced within the range. The median prison term was 18 months. 2,689 people (98%) pleaded guilty.

  • Federal Marijuana Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2016

    In fiscal year 2016, 3,398 people were sentenced in federal court for trafficking where marijuana was the primary drug, and 3,152 of them (93%) received a prison term. The median prison term was 18 months. That median was lower than the 55 months for all §2D1.1 drug trafficking cases that year.

  • Federal Fentanyl Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2025

    The median federal prison term for fentanyl trafficking in fiscal year 2025 was 65 months (5.4 years), the highest fentanyl median in the table. It covers 3,878 people sentenced that year. For all drug trafficking cases in fiscal year 2025, the median was higher, at 72 months.

  • Federal Fentanyl Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2024

    A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 1,911 (48%) of the 3,963 people sentenced for fentanyl trafficking in federal court in fiscal year 2024. That share was lower than the 57% for all drug trafficking cases that year. The median prison term for fentanyl was 60 months (5 years), compared with 7

  • Federal Fentanyl Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2023

    Of 3,338 people sentenced for federal fentanyl trafficking in fiscal year 2023, 3,259 (98%) pleaded guilty and 79 were convicted at trial. The median prison term was 58 months after a guilty plea and 190 months after a trial. Across the whole group, the median prison term was 60 months (5 years).

  • Federal Fentanyl Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2022

    Federal courts sentenced 2,501 people for fentanyl trafficking in fiscal year 2022. For 46% of them (1,138), the sentence was below the guideline range at the government's request. The median prison term was 57 months (4.8 years), and 98% of the 2,501 pleaded guilty.

  • Federal Fentanyl Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2021

    In fiscal year 2021, 1,648 people were sentenced in federal court for trafficking where fentanyl was the primary drug. The median prison term for those sent to prison was 48 months (4 years). That median was lower than the 60 months for all drug trafficking cases that year and lower than the 60 mont

  • Federal Heroin Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2025

    In fiscal year 2025, 355 people were sentenced in federal court for trafficking with heroin as the primary drug, the fewest of any year from 2016 to 2025. Those sent to prison had a median prison term of 51 months (4.2 years), lower than the 72 months for all federal drug trafficking. 54% were in th

  • Federal Heroin Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2024

    597 people were sentenced in federal court for heroin trafficking in fiscal year 2024. Their median prison term was 48 months (4 years), lower than the 70-month median for all federal drug trafficking that year. Only 26% (155) were sentenced within the guideline range, while 45% (270) were sentenced

  • Federal Heroin Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2023

    In fiscal year 2023, 1,005 people were sentenced in federal court for trafficking where heroin was the primary drug. The median prison term for those sent to prison was 54 months (4.5 years), lower than the 65 months for all federal drug trafficking. A mandatory minimum applied to 603 of them (60%).

  • Federal Heroin Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2022

    Federal courts sentenced 1,598 people for heroin trafficking in fiscal year 2022. The median prison term was 57 months (4.8 years), and a mandatory minimum applied to 1,023 of them (64%). Both figures were lower than for all federal drug trafficking that year, where the median was 60 months and the

  • Federal Heroin Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2021

    Of the 1,771 people sentenced for federal heroin trafficking in fiscal year 2021, 40% (712) received a sentence below the guideline range at the government's request, more than any other group. The median prison term was 48 months (4 years). 1,749 people (99%) pleaded guilty, and 22 were convicted a

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