District Sentencing

N.D. Tex. · Administration of JusticeFY2018–FY2025

Districts › Northern District of Texas

Administration of Justice in the Northern District of Texas

N.D. Tex. · Fifth Circuit · Administration of Justice 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.

12cases, FY2025172 over FY2018–FY2025
18median prison monthsnational, this offence: 12
58%within guideline rangenational 49%
68%cases with a prison termnational 73%

§ 1Length of prison terms

10%
17%
40%
21%
<10
<10
<10
median 18 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 (117 cases with a prison term; life and terms of 470 months or more counted as life). Grey: administration of justice offences nationally.

Interquartile range 10–27 months; mean 23. 0 cases at the Commission's 470-month cap (life or longer).

§ 2Summary

Administration of Justice was the primary offence type in 172 cases sentenced in the Northern District of Texas between FY2018 and FY2025 (1% of the district's cases), with 12 in FY2025.

The median prison term was 18 months (1 yr 6 mo), longer than the national median for administration of justice offences (12 months) and longer than the Fifth Circuit median (13). Half of prison terms fell between 10 and 27 months; 68% of cases carried a prison term.

58% of these sentences were within the guideline range (nationally for this offence type: 49%); 17% were below the range on a government motion and 18% below it for other reasons.

FY2025 had fewer cases than FY2018 (12 against 17). The median prison term in FY2024 (18 months) was longer than in FY2019 (9 months).

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 58%Above range 8%Below range, government sponsored 17%Below range, other 18%Not determinable 0

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

MeasureN.D. Tex., administration of justiceN.D. Tex., all offences5th Cir., administration of justiceUS, administration of justice
Cases per fiscal year221,473132625
Share of district caseload1.5%100%——
Median prison months18601312
Mean prison months2391—17
Cases with a prison term68%96%76%73%
Within guideline range58%62%60%49%
Above range8%7%6%5%
Below range, government sponsored17%14%14%21%
Below range, other18%17%21%25%
Median final offence level1423—12

§ 5Trend by fiscal year

17
25
22
35
27
18
16
12
’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Administration of Justice cases sentenced per fiscal year (fiscal years 2018–2025)
—
9
15
21
17
20
18
—
’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Median prison months by fiscal year (fiscal years 2018–2025)
Fiscal yearCasesPrisonMedian monthsWithin rangeBelow, gov.Below, otherAbove
FY201817—————0%
FY201925—968%——0%
FY202022—1550%———
FY20213569%2157%———
FY202227—1756%———
FY202318—20————
FY202416—18————
FY202512—————0%

§ 6Criminal history

Category I76% · 63%
Category II7% · 10%
Category III8% · 11%
Category IV<10
Category V<10
Category VI<10

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

§ 7Guidelines applied

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 administration of justice offences in the Northern District of Texas?

The median prison term over FY2018–FY2025 was 18 months (1 yr 6 mo), with the middle half of terms between 10 and 27 months. 68% of cases carried a prison term. The national median for administration of justice offences is 12 months.

How often are administration of justice offences sentenced below the guideline range here?

17% of sentences were below the range on a government motion and 18% below it for other reasons; 58% 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, administration of justice offences had a median prison term of 12 months and a within-range share of 49% over the same period. The district's figures are above on median term and higher than the national within-range share.

Which guidelines are involved?

The most common primary guidelines for these cases are §2X4.1, §none and §2J1.2.

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 Northern District of Texas

§ 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 1; district is CIRCDIST 34. Counts below 10 are hidden or pooled. Errors in this site's processing are corrected at the next build; see corrections. Methodology.