Idaho vs. Montana

What This Idaho vs. Montana Comparison Reveals

In FY2024, the Idaho District (9th Circuit) handled 636 federal sentencings with an average imposed term of 81.1 months, while the Montana District (9th Circuit) handled 1,696 cases at an average of 30.3 months. That is a 50.8-month gap - the Idaho District sentences longer on average. Case volume alone tells part of the story: Montana processed roughly 2.7× more defendants than Idaho, 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, Idaho sentenced 50% within the range, 10% above, and 40% below. In Montana, the corresponding figures were 38% within, 3% above, and 58% below. Guilty-plea rates ran at 91% vs. 77%, and prison-sentence rates at 89% 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, Idaho ran a disparity of +28.0% and Montana ran -11.2%. 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.