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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.

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Latest Analysis

  • Federal Sentences in the Eastern District of California, FY2016–2025

    The Eastern District of California sentenced 4,546 people in federal court in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. For those sent to prison, the median term was 48 months (4 years), compared with 24 months for all 94 federal districts together. Drug trafficking made up 42% of the district's sentences, and a m

  • Federal Sentences in the Northern District of California, FY2016–2025

    Just 24% of the federal sentences imposed in the Northern District of California in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 were within the guideline range, compared with 48% across all 94 districts. The district sentenced 4,531 people, and 86% received a prison term, a lower share than the 91% national figure. T

  • Federal Sentences in the District of Arizona, FY2016–2025

    Immigration offenses made up 65% of federal sentences in the District of Arizona in fiscal years 2016 to 2025: 31,098 of 47,716 people. The district's median prison term was 9 months, lower than the 24-month median for all 94 districts. More than 99% of the people sentenced pleaded guilty.

  • Federal Sentences in the District of South Dakota, FY2016–2025

    In the District of South Dakota, 57% of federal sentences in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 were within the guideline range, higher than the 48% share across all 94 districts. Only 8% were below the range at the government's request. The district sentenced 5,041 people, with a median prison term of 36 mo

  • Federal Sentences in the District of North Dakota, FY2016–2025

    In the District of North Dakota, 50% of federal sentences in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 were below the guideline range at the government's request: 1,681 of the 3,333 with that information. Only 34% were within the range, against 48% nationally. The district sentenced 3,337 people, and the median pri

  • Federal Sentences in the District of Nebraska, FY2016–2025

    The District of Nebraska sentenced 4,887 people in federal court in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. Immigration was its second-largest offense type, at 790 people (16%), behind drug trafficking at 2,023 (41%). The median prison term was 57 months (4.8 years), and 48% of sentences were within the guidelin

  • Federal Sentences in the Western District of Missouri, FY2016–2025

    Federal judges in the Western District of Missouri sentenced 7,571 people in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. The median prison term was 72 months (6 years), longer than the 24-month median for all 94 districts, and 21 people received a life sentence. A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 3,244 of th

  • Federal Sentences in the Eastern District of Missouri, FY2016–2025

    Firearms offenses were the largest category of federal sentences in the Eastern District of Missouri: 3,724 of the 9,425 people sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, or 40%. Drug trafficking was second at 2,706 (29%). The district's median prison term was 46 months (3.8 years), compared with 24 mo

  • Federal Sentences in the District of Minnesota, FY2016–2025

    Only 31% of federal sentences in the District of Minnesota fell within the guideline range in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, compared with 48% across all districts. Of the 3,630 people sentenced, 39% received a sentence below the range without a government request. The median prison term was 70 months (

  • Federal Sentences in the Southern District of Iowa, FY2016–2025

    In the Southern District of Iowa, the median federal prison term for fiscal years 2016 to 2025 was 80 months (6.7 years), against a 24-month median for all 94 districts. The district sentenced 4,208 people in those years. Drug trafficking made up 45% of them, and a mandatory minimum applied to 1,903

  • Federal Sentences in the Northern District of Iowa, FY2016–2025

    Federal judges in the Northern District of Iowa sentenced 3,479 people in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, and 97% of them received a prison term. The median prison term was 60 months (5 years), compared with 24 months for all 94 districts combined. Sentences inside the guideline range were also more comm

  • Federal Sentences in the Western District of Arkansas, FY2016–2025

    Drug trafficking made up 49% of federal sentencings in the Western District of Arkansas in fiscal years 2016 to 2025: 1,069 of 2,185 people. The district's median prison term was 72 months (6 years), compared with 24 months for all 94 federal districts. Fines were ordered for 700 people (32%).

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