NewKnow Your Judge: the court-martial record of 306 military judges → NewLearn Your Lawyer: the court-martial record of 335 military lawyers →
Where All The Bodies Are Buried

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

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

  • Obstruction of Justice Sentences in 2020: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial

    Nearly every 2020 court-martial conviction for obstruction of justice included confinement: 32 of 33 (97%), with a median of 10 months. In federal fiscal year 2020, 76 of 107 people sentenced under guideline §2J1.2 (71%) received a prison term, and the median prison term was 12 months. Confinement w

  • Obstruction of Justice Sentences in 2019: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial

    Confinement was more common at court-martial than prison was in federal court for obstruction of justice in 2019: 87% of 30 court-martial convictions included confinement, compared with 71% of 131 people sentenced federally in fiscal year 2019. The median length was lower at court-martial, at 8 mont

  • Obstruction of Justice Sentences in 2018: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial

    For obstruction of justice in 2018, the median court-martial confinement was 12 months across 23 convictions, and the median federal prison term was 18 months for people sentenced under guideline §2J1.2 in fiscal year 2018. In both systems, sentences after a contested case or trial were longer than

  • Obstruction of Justice Sentences in 2017: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial

    Every 2017 obstruction of justice conviction at court-martial with a plea on record came from a guilty plea: 15 of 15 (100%). Federal court in fiscal year 2017 saw 92% of the 130 people sentenced under guideline §2J1.2 plead guilty. Median confinement at court-martial was 12 months, compared with a

  • Obstruction of Justice Sentences in 2016: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial

    In 2016, the median adjudged confinement for an obstruction of justice (Article 131b) conviction at court-martial was 12 months, across 11 convictions. In federal fiscal year 2016, 131 people were sentenced under guideline §2J1.2, and the median prison term for those sent to prison was 15 months. Th

  • Aggravated Assault Sentences in 2025: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial

    Courts-martial with 2025 trial dates recorded 21 convictions for aggravated assault (Article 128), with a median confinement of 6 months; a quarter received 10.8 months or more. Federal court sentenced 555 people under guideline §2A2.2 in fiscal year 2025, and the median prison term was 41 months. T

  • Aggravated Assault Sentences in 2024: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial

    Of 28 enlisted members convicted of aggravated assault under Article 128 at courts-martial in 2024, 14 (50%) received a punitive discharge, and the median confinement was 6 months. Federal court sentenced 583 people under guideline §2A2.2 in fiscal year 2024, with a median prison term of 40 months.

  • Aggravated Assault Sentences in 2023: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial

    The median federal prison term for aggravated assault in fiscal year 2023 was 43 months, across 525 people sentenced under guideline §2A2.2. The 20 court-martial convictions for aggravated assault (Article 128) with 2023 trial dates had a median adjudged confinement of 14.5 months. The federal media

  • Aggravated Assault Sentences in 2022: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial

    In federal fiscal year 2022, 524 people were sentenced for aggravated assault under guideline §2A2.2, and 511 of them (98%) received a prison term with a median of 41 months. At courts-martial with 2022 trial dates, 38 people were convicted of aggravated assault under Article 128, and 34 (89%) were

  • Aggravated Assault Sentences in 2021: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial

    Courts-martial recorded 50 aggravated assault convictions under Article 128 with 2021 trial dates, and the median confinement was 10 months. In federal fiscal year 2021, 406 people were sentenced under guideline §2A2.2, with a median prison term of 37 months. In both systems, the median sentence aft

  • Aggravated Assault Sentences in 2020: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial

    Guilty pleas were common in both systems in 2020. Of 12 aggravated assault convictions with a plea recorded at courts-martial, 11 (92%) were guilty pleas, and in federal court 329 of 341 people sentenced in fiscal year 2020 (96%) pleaded guilty. The median sentence was lower at courts-martial: 12 mo

  • Aggravated Assault Sentences in 2019: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial

    Federal court sentenced 413 people under the aggravated assault guideline (§2A2.2) in fiscal year 2019, and the median prison term was 40 months. Courts-martial with 2019 trial dates recorded 13 aggravated assault convictions under Article 128, with a median confinement of 11.4 months. The federal m

Go deeper: Military Trial Results (every case, members) · Know Your Judge · Learn Your Lawyer (free)

↑ Top