D. Mass. · AssaultFY2018–FY2025

Assault in the District of Massachusetts

Q: What is the typical sentence for assault offences in the District of Massachusetts?

The median prison term over FY2018–FY2025 was 77 months (6 yr 5 mo), with the middle half of terms between 30 and 144 months. 100% of cases carried a prison term. The national median for assault offences is 46 months.

Q: How often are assault offences sentenced below the guideline range here?

44% of sentences were below the range on a government motion and 25% below it for other reasons; 20% were within the range. The Commission's categories are explained in the guide to how the guidelines work.

Q: How does this compare with the rest of the country?

Nationally, assault offences had a median prison term of 46 months and a within-range share of 48% over the same period. The district's figures are above on median term and lower than the national within-range share.

Q: Which guidelines are involved?

The most common primary guidelines for these cases are §none, §2A2.1 and §2A2.2.

Q: Is this a prediction for a particular case?

No. The figures are aggregates of sentences already imposed, as recorded by the US Sentencing Commission. They are not legal advice and do not estimate the outcome of any case.

D. Mass. · First Circuit · Assault nationally

The datafile contains cases reported to the Commission with sentencing documents. Sentence length statistics use the Commission's capped variable (sentences of 470 months or longer, including life, are recorded as 470 months) and exclude sentences of probation or a fine only. Figures are aggregates of past cases and are not a prediction for any case.

<10cases, FY202559 over FY2018–FY2025

77median prison monthsnational, this offence: 46

20%within guideline rangenational 48%

100%cases with a prison termnational 91%

§ 1Length of prison terms

<10

27%

20%

<10

median 77 mo

under 6 mo6–11 mo1–2 yr2–3 yr3–5 yr5–10 yr10–15 yr15–20 yr20–30 yr30 yr+life

Share of cases with a prison term, by length of the term (59 cases with a prison term; life and terms of 470 months or more counted as life). Grey: assault offences nationally.

Interquartile range 30–144 months; mean 92. 0 cases at the Commission's 470-month cap (life or longer).

§ 2Summary

59 assault offences were sentenced in the District of Massachusetts across 8 fiscal years (FY2018–FY2025), <10 of them in FY2025; that is 2% of the district's caseload.

The median prison term was 77 months (6 yr 5 mo), longer than the national median for assault offences (46 months) and longer than the First Circuit median (60). Half of prison terms fell between 30 and 144 months; 100% of cases carried a prison term.

20% of these sentences were within the guideline range (nationally for this offence type: 48%); 44% were below the range on a government motion and 25% below it for other reasons.

These are aggregates of past cases. The guideline range for any case depends on its offence level, criminal history and statutory minimums, and the sentence on the court's findings; no figure here estimates an outcome.

§ 3Position relative to the guideline range

Within guideline range 20%Above range <10Below range, government sponsored 44%Below range, other 25%Not determinable 0

§ 4Compared with the district, the circuit and the nation

Measure	D. Mass., assault	D. Mass., all offences	1st Cir., assault	US, assault
Cases per fiscal year	<10	481	12	778
Share of district caseload	1.5%	100%	—	—
Median prison months	77	30	60	46
Mean prison months	92	50	—	73
Cases with a prison term	100%	93%	—	91%
Within guideline range	20%	29%	36%	48%
Above range	—	3%	—	8%
Below range, government sponsored	44%	33%	37%	22%
Below range, other	25%	36%	20%	22%
Median final offence level	28	21	—	20

§ 5Trend by fiscal year

<10

’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25

Assault cases sentenced per fiscal year (fiscal years 2018–2025)

120

<10

’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25

Median prison months by fiscal year (fiscal years 2018–2025)

Fiscal year	Cases	Prison	Median months	Within range	Below, gov.	Below, other	Above
FY2018	12	100%	120	—	—	—	—
FY2019	<10	fewer than 10 cases
FY2020	<10	fewer than 10 cases
FY2021	<10	fewer than 10 cases
FY2022	<10	fewer than 10 cases
FY2023	<10	fewer than 10 cases
FY2024	<10	fewer than 10 cases
FY2025	<10	fewer than 10 cases

§ 6Criminal history

Category I39% · 39%

Category II24% · 13%

Category III<10

Category IV<10

Category V<10

Category VI<10

Share of cases at each final criminal history category; grey figure: assault offences nationally.

§ 7Guidelines applied

§none · 95 cases in the district (all offence types)
§2A2.1 · 32 cases in the district (all offence types)
§2A2.2 Aggravated assault · 23 cases in the district (all offence types)
§2X3.1 Accessory after the fact · <10 cases in the district (all offence types)
§2A2.3 · <10 cases in the district (all offence types)

Primary guidelines the Commission associates with this offence type, with the district's caseload under each across all offence types.

§ 8Questions and answers

What is the typical sentence for assault offences in the District of Massachusetts?

The median prison term over FY2018–FY2025 was 77 months (6 yr 5 mo), with the middle half of terms between 30 and 144 months. 100% of cases carried a prison term. The national median for assault offences is 46 months.

How often are assault offences sentenced below the guideline range here?

44% of sentences were below the range on a government motion and 25% below it for other reasons; 20% were within the range. The Commission's categories are explained in the guide to how the guidelines work.

How does this compare with the rest of the country?

Nationally, assault offences had a median prison term of 46 months and a within-range share of 48% over the same period. The district's figures are above on median term and lower than the national within-range share.

Which guidelines are involved?

The most common primary guidelines for these cases are §none, §2A2.1 and §2A2.2.

Is this a prediction for a particular case?

No. The figures are aggregates of sentences already imposed, as recorded by the US Sentencing Commission. They are not legal advice and do not estimate the outcome of any case.

§ 9Other offence types in the District of Massachusetts

§ 10Provenance

Source: United States Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles, fiscal years 2018–2025 (US government works), aggregated by this site; the FY2025 file is dated 29 Apr 2026. Offence type is the Commission's OFFGUIDE code 4; district is CIRCDIST 03. Counts below 10 are hidden or pooled. Errors in this site's processing are corrected at the next build; see corrections. Methodology.