Central California vs. Southern New York

What This Central California vs. Southern New York Comparison Reveals

In FY2025, the Central California District (9th Circuit) handled 932 federal sentencings with an average imposed term of 60.0 months, while the Southern New York District (2nd Circuit) handled 899 cases at an average of 64.9 months. That is a 4.9-month gap - the Southern District sentences longer on average. Case volume alone tells part of the story: Central processed roughly 1× more defendants than Southern, which affects guideline compliance patterns and the mix of offenses each court sees.

Guideline compliance diverges as well. Among cases with a determinable guideline range, Central California sentenced 29% within the range, 3% above, and 68% below. In Southern New York, the corresponding figures were 24% within, 2% above, and 75% below. Guilty-plea rates ran at 87% vs. 65%, and prison-sentence rates at 85% vs. 90% respectively, metrics that capture both charging practice and judicial discretion across the two courts.

Set against the nationwide benchmark for the same offense mix, Central California ran a disparity of -3.4% and Southern New York ran -19.1%. That comparison adjusts for the offense mix each district actually handles, so it isolates court-level patterns from pure caseload composition. Readers should still treat these as aggregate descriptive statistics, individual cases turn on criminal history, specific guideline adjustments, cooperation agreements, and statutory mandatory minimums that the district averages cannot resolve. This data is presented for research and educational purposes only and is not legal advice.