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 Other Offense Sentences in the District of South Dakota, FY2016–2025
55 people were sentenced in the Commission's catch-all offense type "Other" in the District of South Dakota in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. 35 (64%) received a prison term and 19 (35%) received probation only. The median prison term was 12 months, compared with 0.2 months across all 94 federal distric
Federal Robbery Sentences in the District of South Dakota, FY2016–2025
All 68 people sentenced for robbery in the District of South Dakota in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 received a prison term. The median prison term was 84 months (7 years), lower than the 90 months for robbery across all 94 federal districts. Sentences within the guideline range were 65% of the group, c
Federal Prison Offense Sentences in the District of South Dakota, FY2016–2025
All 92 people sentenced in the U.S. Sentencing Commission's "Prison Offenses" type in the District of South Dakota in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 received a prison term. The median was 8 months, compared with 10 months across all 94 federal districts. 88 of the 92 cases used the escape guideline.
Federal Manslaughter Sentences in the District of South Dakota, FY2016–2025
31% of the 95 people sentenced for manslaughter in the District of South Dakota in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 received a sentence above the advisory guideline range (29 people). The median prison term was 60 months (5 years), close to the 63 months across all 94 federal districts. 92 of the 95 (97%)
Federal Child Pornography Sentences in the District of South Dakota, FY2016–2025
A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 127 of the 181 people (70%) sentenced for child pornography (images of child exploitation) offenses in the District of South Dakota in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. The median prison term was 64.5 months (5.4 years), lower than the 90 months across all 94 fede
Federal Administration of Justice Offense Sentences in the District of South Dakota, FY2016–2025
In the District of South Dakota, 189 of the 214 people sentenced for administration of justice offenses in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 (88%) received a prison term. The median prison term was 9 months, lower than the 12 months across all 94 federal districts. The most common guideline, used in 151 cas
Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the District of South Dakota, FY2016–2025
The median prison term for the 327 people sentenced for immigration offenses in the District of South Dakota in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 was 2.5 months. Across all 94 federal districts the median for this offense type was 7 months. 323 of the 327 (99%) received a prison term, and only 23 (7%) were
Federal Sexual Abuse Sentences in the District of South Dakota, FY2016–2025
49 of the 386 people sentenced for sexual abuse in the District of South Dakota in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 were convicted after a trial, and their median prison term was 292 months. The median after a guilty plea was 120 months. For all sexual abuse cases in the district, the median prison term wa
Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the District of South Dakota, FY2016–2025
Of the 397 people sentenced for fraud, theft, or embezzlement in the District of South Dakota in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, 234 (59%) received a prison term and 153 (39%) received probation only. The median prison term was 12 months, compared with 20 months across all 94 federal districts. Restituti
Federal Obscenity and Other Sex Offense Sentences in the District of South Dakota, FY2016–2025
The District of South Dakota sentenced 436 people in the U.S. Sentencing Commission's offense type "Obscenity/Other Sex Offenses" in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. The median prison term was 18 months, the same as across all 94 federal districts. 422 of the 436 cases used a guideline about failure to re
Federal Assault Sentences in the District of South Dakota, FY2016–2025
448 people were sentenced for assault in the District of South Dakota in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, 9% of the 5,041 people sentenced in the district. The median prison term was 30 months (2.5 years), lower than the 42 months for assault across all 94 federal districts. 13% of sentences were above th
Federal Firearms Sentences in the District of South Dakota, FY2016–2025
In the District of South Dakota, 703 people were sentenced for firearms offenses in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, 14% of the 5,041 people sentenced in the district. 664 (94%) received a prison term, with a median prison term of 30 months (2.5 years). That median is lower than the 42 months for firearms
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