Colorado vs. Eastern Wisconsin

What This Colorado vs. Eastern Wisconsin Comparison Reveals

In FY2025, the Colorado District (10th Circuit) handled 377 federal sentencings with an average imposed term of 68.7 months, while the Eastern Wisconsin District (7th Circuit) handled 302 cases at an average of 57.9 months. That is a 10.8-month gap - the Colorado District sentences longer on average. Case volume alone tells part of the story: Colorado processed roughly 1.2× more defendants than Eastern, 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, Colorado sentenced 28% within the range, 4% above, and 68% below. In Eastern Wisconsin, the corresponding figures were 18% within, 3% above, and 79% below. Guilty-plea rates ran at 95% vs. 100%, and prison-sentence rates at 92% vs. 85% respectively, metrics that capture both charging practice and judicial discretion across the two courts.

Set against the nationwide benchmark for the same offense mix, Colorado ran a disparity of +8.1% and Eastern Wisconsin ran -16.4%. 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.