DC Circuit · District of Columbia · FY2015–FY2024

District of Columbia District

Federal criminal sentencing outcomes for the U.S. District Court, average sentence, guideline compliance, and disparity versus the national benchmark, from USSC case-level data.

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For educational and research purposes only. This page summarizes historical USSC sentencing statistics, not a prediction for any individual case, sentencing depends on many case-specific factors. Consult a licensed criminal defense attorney for guidance on a specific matter.

Source: U.S. Sentencing Commission Individual Offender Datafiles, FY2015–FY2024. · Methodology and data dictionary.

Sentencing Trends (FY2015–FY2024)

YearCasesAvg (mo)Within GLAbove GLBelow GL

Top Offenses (FY2024)

No offense data available.

About This Data

Source: United States Sentencing Commission (USSC), Individual Offender Datafiles, FY2015–FY2024. The District of Columbia District is part of the DC Circuit.

"Within guidelines" means the imposed sentence fell within the calculated guideline range. "Above" and "below" are upward and downward departures or variances. Shares are computed over cases with a determinable guideline range; some cases (e.g. certain mandatory-minimum dispositions) have no calculable range and are excluded from those percentages.

Source: USSC Commission Datafiles · Methodology: see how we compute these metrics

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average federal sentence in the District of Columbia District?
In FY2024, the District of Columbia District Court imposed an average federal sentence of N/A months across N/A cases. This includes all offense types handled by the district.
How often do judges in District of Columbia follow the sentencing guidelines?
In FY2024, N/A% of sentences in the District of Columbia District fell within the federal sentencing guidelines range. N/A% were above guidelines (upward departures) and N/A% were below guidelines (downward departures).
What is a sentencing disparity score?
The disparity score measures how far a district's average sentences deviate from the national average for the same offense types. A positive score means the district sentences higher than average; a negative score means lower. The District of Columbia District had a disparity of N/A% in FY2024.
What does "below guidelines" mean in federal sentencing?
A below-guideline sentence is one shorter than the bottom of the calculated guideline range, a downward departure or variance, often reflecting a government-sponsored motion (such as substantial assistance under §5K1.1) or a judicial variance under 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) following United States v. Booker (2005). In the District of Columbia District, N/A% of cases with a determinable guideline range fell below it in FY2024.
Where does the District of Columbia District sentencing data come from?
All data comes from the United States Sentencing Commission (USSC) Individual Offender Datafiles, covering fiscal years 2015 through 2024. The USSC collects case-level data from federal courts nationwide.

Learn More About Federal Sentencing

Understanding Federal Sentencing

How federal sentencing guidelines work, from offense levels to criminal history categories.

Sentencing Disparity Explained

What drives differences in sentencing outcomes between federal districts.

Reading Sentencing Data

How to interpret the statistics and comparisons in PlainSentencing.
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What the District of Columbia data shows

District of Columbia federal sentencing data covers every case in this district from FY2015 to FY2024.

  • Offense mix is the largest driver of average sentence length: a district heavy on immigration or fraud cases will always look different from one dominated by firearms or drug trafficking. Browse offenses
  • Guilty plea rates drive district averages: cooperation agreements often come with government-sponsored departure motions that reduce sentences below the guideline range. Plea bargaining in federal court
  • Compare District of Columbia with another federal district on the same offense types to isolate judicial variation from offense-mix effects. Compare districts

Descriptive USSC aggregates, not legal advice; a district average reflects its offense mix, not court severity.

Cite this page

Free to cite and reference with attribution. Figures update automatically as new data is published, compiled from the public-domain USSC datafiles.

PlainSentencing. (FY2024). District of Columbia District, Federal Sentencing Profile. PlainSentencing. Retrieved from https://plainsentencing.com/district/district-of-columbia. Data from the U.S. Sentencing Commission (USSC) Individual Offender Datafiles; public domain (CC0).

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.