What does the Northern district docket plate read for FY2025?

Northern Iowa stamps BOOK-LIGHT · SENT-LONG · DISP-LONG · WITHIN-MID · RANK-HARSH · PHOTO-NEAR · CIR-8TH at 101.4 mo (longer-third average (> 82 mo)) across 313 USSC cases, ranking #7/88 by average sentence.

How does Northern compare on mix-adjusted disparity?

Mix-adjusted disparity was +33.3% in FY2025 (DISP-LONG) - 47% within guidelines, 44% below (rarer below-guideline share (≤ 47%)).

Where does Northern sit among USSC districts?

#63 of 93 by FY2025 caseload (lower-third caseload (≤ 335 cases)); #7 of 88 by average sentence (longer-third average (> 82 mo)).

Where does Northern sentencing data come from?

USSC Individual Offender Datafiles FY2015–FY2025. The docket plate uses the same FY2025 corpus ranks as /rankings/; see /methodology/#corpus-placement.

8th Circuit · Iowa · FY2015–FY2025

Northern Iowa District

Name: Federal Sentencing Data - Northern Iowa District
Creator: PlainSentencing
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Average imposed sentence 101.4 mo in FY2025 - longer-third average (> 82 mo) among 88 districts (≥100 cases).

Compiled by PlainSentencing, Federal Sentencing Data Publishing · August 30, 2026

101.4
Avg months FY2025: well above the national average; 313
Federal cases: 47%
Within guidelines: typical guideline adherence; +33.3%
Disparity vs natl

RSS updates

The verdict

According to the U.S. Sentencing Commission FY2025 Individual Offender Datafiles, Northern Iowa District ranks #63 of 93 by caseload (313 cases) and #7 of 88 districts with at least 100 cases by average sentence (101.4 months).

#63
Caseload of 93: #7
Avg sentence of 88: 101.4 months
This district avg FY2025: 313
This district cases FY2025

Caseload rank covers every district with at least one FY case. Average-sentence rank covers districts with at least 100 cases so a thin docket cannot top the list. Offense ranks cover the 30 published guideline types. Averages follow offense mix, not court character.

Northern USSC docket plate

BOOK-LIGHT Light book SENT-LONG 101 mo avg DISP-LONG +33.3% long WITHIN-MID 47% within RANK-HARSH #7/88 harsh PHOTO-NEAR Near Western CIR-8TH 8th

FY2025: 313 cases at 101.4 mo average · #7/88 harshest-rank · mix-adjusted +33.3% (DISP-LONG). Nearest ABS peer: Western (-0.4 mo).

Arizona

17.4
Western · near

100.8
Western · near

101
Northern

101.4
Eastern · near

102.1
Southern

129.3

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–FY2025. · Methodology and data dictionary.

Northern FY2024→FY2025: +5.9 mo avg

Northern Iowa: FY2025 average 101.4 mo (+5.9 vs FY2024); caseload +18. Chart = avg vs guideline midpoint.

Year	Cases	Avg (mo)	Within GL	Above GL	Below GL
FY2025	313	101.4	47%	9%	44%
FY2024	295	95.5	54%	12%	34%
FY2023	338	91.5	50%	8%	42%
FY2022	333	93.4	48%	11%	41%
FY2021	326	90.0	41%	11%	49%
FY2020	365	68.5	49%	6%	45%
FY2019	415	85.2	51%	8%	41%
FY2018	370	75.8	62%	5%	33%
FY2017	376	75.2	56%	8%	37%
FY2016	348	74.1	62%	7%	31%
FY2015	361	85.9	61%	8%	31%

Top Offenses (FY2025)

1

Drug Trafficking

121 cases · 135.1 mo avg

2

Firearms

89 cases · 65.5 mo avg

3

Immigration

24 cases · 6.6 mo avg

4

Fraud/Theft/Embezzlement

23 cases · 39.7 mo avg

5

Child Pornography

20 cases · 149.5 mo avg

6

Sexual Abuse

8 cases · 376.3 mo avg

7

Money Laundering

8 cases · 123.1 mo avg

8

Prison Offenses

5 cases · 18.0 mo avg

9

Assault

4 cases · 107.1 mo avg

10

Other Offenses

3 cases · 2.7 mo avg

Sentencing Disparity

+33.3%

vs. national average (FY2025)

Drug Trafficking

121
Firearms

89
Immigration

24
Fraud/Theft/Embezzlement

23
Child Pornography

20
Sexual Abuse

8
Money Laundering

8
Prison Offenses

5
Assault

4
Other Offenses

3

What this shows Drug Trafficking was the most common offense in this district, accounting for 121 of the cases sentenced in FY2025.

Nationwide districts with similar caseload or average sentence

Sparse-book Northern peer sets: FY2025 caseload nearest-neighbors and ABS(average sentence) peers - volume matches matter more when the local book is thin.

Similar FY caseload

Nearest nationwide districts by ABS(313 cases here).

Middle North Carolina · 312 cases · 4th Circuit
Idaho · 309 cases · 9th Circuit
Eastern Louisiana · 324 cases · 5th Circuit
Eastern Wisconsin · 302 cases · 7th Circuit

Similar average sentence

Nearest nationwide districts by ABS(101.4 mo here; ≥100-case books).

Western Michigan · 101.0 mo avg · 242 cases
Western Arkansas · 100.8 mo avg · 164 cases
Eastern Tennessee · 102.1 mo avg · 532 cases
Eastern Kentucky · 102.8 mo avg · 390 cases

Read with Northern

ABS(avg_sentence) peers first, then a stamp-branched guide - not a fixed three-guide strip. This sheet stamps BOOK-LIGHT · SENT-LONG · DISP-LONG · WITHIN-MID · RANK-HARSH · PHOTO-NEAR · CIR-8TH.

Western · 101 mo

ABS(avg_sentence) peer at 101.0 mo (Δ 0.4 mo lenient vs Northern); 242 FY2025 cases · same USSC book axis as this sheet.

Western · 101 mo

ABS(avg_sentence) peer at 100.8 mo (Δ 0.6 mo lenient vs Northern); 164 FY2025 cases · same USSC book axis as this sheet.

Eastern · 102 mo

ABS(avg_sentence) peer at 102.1 mo (Δ 0.7 mo harsher vs Northern); 532 FY2025 cases · same USSC book axis as this sheet.

Eastern · 103 mo

ABS(avg_sentence) peer at 102.8 mo (Δ 1.4 mo harsher vs Northern); 390 FY2025 cases · same USSC book axis as this sheet.

Disparity drill · DISP-LONG

Northern stamps DISP-LONG on mix-adjusted disparity - the disparity guide explains offense-mix vs judicial variation.

Drug · lead offense

Drug Trafficking led Northern at 121 cases (39% of the FY2025 book) - offense-specific averages differ from the district headline.

All Districts District Rankings

Source: U.S. Sentencing Commission Individual Offender Datafiles, FY2015–FY2025.

Source: USSC public-use extracts rendered by PlainSentencing; methodology at /methodology/.