S.D. Cal. · Administration of JusticeFY2018–FY2025
Districts › Southern District of California
Administration of Justice in the Southern District of California
S.D. Cal. · Ninth 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.
§ 1Length of prison terms
Interquartile range 6–18 months; mean 13. 0 cases at the Commission's 470-month cap (life or longer).
§ 2Summary
164 administration of justice offences were sentenced in the Southern District of California across 8 fiscal years (FY2018–FY2025), 14 of them in FY2025; that is 1% of the district's caseload.
The median prison term was 12 months (1 year), close to the national median for administration of justice offences (12 months) and close to the Ninth Circuit median (12). Half of prison terms fell between 6 and 18 months; 80% of cases carried a prison term.
45% of these sentences were within the guideline range (nationally for this offence type: 49%); 32% were below the range on a government motion and 17% below it for other reasons.
FY2025 had fewer cases than FY2018 (14 against 22). The median prison term in FY2025 (7 months) was shorter than in FY2018 (17 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 45%Above range 7%Below range, government sponsored 32%Below range, other 17%Not determinable 0
§ 4Compared with the district, the circuit and the nation
| Measure | S.D. Cal., administration of justice | S.D. Cal., all offences | 9th Cir., administration of justice | US, administration of justice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cases per fiscal year | 21 | 3,295 | 116 | 625 |
| Share of district caseload | 0.6% | 100% | — | — |
| Median prison months | 12 | 15 | 12 | 12 |
| Mean prison months | 13 | 24 | — | 17 |
| Cases with a prison term | 80% | 95% | 70% | 73% |
| Within guideline range | 45% | 15% | 41% | 49% |
| Above range | 7% | 1% | 6% | 5% |
| Below range, government sponsored | 32% | 79% | 31% | 21% |
| Below range, other | 17% | 5% | 22% | 25% |
| Median final offence level | 12 | 17 | — | 12 |
§ 5Trend by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Cases | Prison | Median months | Within range | Below, gov. | Below, other | Above |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 22 | — | 17 | 55% | — | — | — |
| FY2019 | 18 | — | 14 | — | — | — | — |
| FY2020 | 14 | — | 3 | — | — | — | 0% |
| FY2021 | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | |||||
| FY2022 | 39 | 74% | 12 | 44% | 39% | — | — |
| FY2023 | 25 | — | 12 | 44% | 44% | — | — |
| FY2024 | 26 | — | 8 | 42% | — | — | — |
| FY2025 | 14 | 100% | 7 | 79% | — | 0% | 0% |
§ 6Criminal history
Share of cases at each final criminal history category; grey figure: administration of justice offences nationally.
§ 7Guidelines applied
- §none · 5,333 cases in the district (all offence types)
- §2A2.4 Obstructing or impeding officers · 76 cases in the district (all offence types)
- §2X4.1 Misprision of felony · 39 cases in the district (all offence types)
- §2J1.2 Obstruction of justice · 13 cases in the district (all offence types)
- §2X1.1 Attempt, solicitation or conspiracy (not covered by a specific guideline) · <10 cases in the district (all offence types)
- §2X3.1 Accessory after the fact · <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 administration of justice offences in the Southern District of California?
The median prison term over FY2018–FY2025 was 12 months (1 year), with the middle half of terms between 6 and 18 months. 80% 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?
32% of sentences were below the range on a government motion and 17% below it for other reasons; 45% 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 close to on median term and close to the national within-range share.
Which guidelines are involved?
The most common primary guidelines for these cases are §none, §2A2.4 and §2X4.1.
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 Southern District of California
- Immigration 11,983
- Drug Trafficking 11,061
- Fraud/Theft/Embezzlement 980
- Money Launder 676
- Firearms 372
- Prison Offenses 241
- Child Pornography 149
- Environmental 116
- Assault 96
- Drug Possession 95
- Robbery 79
- Sex Abuse 78
§ 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 68. Counts below 10 are hidden or pooled. Errors in this site's processing are corrected at the next build; see corrections. Methodology.