Convictions for June 2016

Number Latest Month 9,140
Percent Change from previous month -6.8
Percent Change from 1 year ago -5.5
Percent Change from 5 years ago
(Including Magistrate Court)
-14.2
Percent Change from 5 years ago
(Excluding Magistrate Court)
-18.5
Table 1. Criminal Convictions

The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during June 2016 the government reported 9140 new convictions. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is down 6.8 percent over the previous month.

The comparisons of the number of defendants convicted are based on case-by-case information obtained by TRAC under the Freedom of Information Act from the Executive Office for United States Attorneys (see Table 1).

When monthly 2016 convictions of this type are compared with those of the same period in the previous year, the number of convictions was down (-5.5%). Convictions over the past year are still much lower than they were five years ago. Overall, the data show that convictions of this type are down 14.2 percent from levels reported in 2011.

Bar and line plot of FYMON

Figure 1. Monthly Trends in Convictions

The decrease from the levels five years ago in convictions for these matters is shown more clearly in Figure 1. The vertical bars in Figure 1 represent the number of convictions of this type recorded on a month-to-month basis. Where a prosecution was initially filed in U.S. Magistrate Court and then transferred to the U.S. District Court, the magistrate filing date was used since this provides an earlier indicator of actual trends. The superimposed line on the bars plots the six-month moving average so that natural fluctuations are smoothed out. The one and five-year rates of change in Table 1 and in the sections that follow are all based upon this six-month moving average. To view trends year-by-year rather than month-by-month, see TRAC's annual report series for a broader picture.

Cases were classified by prosecutors into more specific types.

The largest number of convictions of these matters in June 2016 was for "Immigration", accounting for 58.7 percent of convictions. Convictions were also filed for "Drugs-Drug Trafficking" (9.8%), "Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force" (5.1%), "Weapons-Operation Triggerlock Major" (4.8%), "Withheld by Govt from TRAC (FOIA challen" (3.7%), "Other Criminal Prosecutions" (2.1%), "Project Safe Childhood" (2.1%). See Figure 2.

The lead investigative agency for convictions in June 2016 was DHS accounting for 63 percent of convictions. Other agencies with substantial numbers of convictions were: DEA (9% ), FBI (9%), ATF (5%), Interior (2%). See Figure 3.

Pie chart of progcatlabel

Figure 2. Specific Types of Convictions
Pie chart of agenrevgrp

Figure 3. Convictions by Investigative Agency

Convictions in U.S. Magistrate Courts

Top Ranked Lead Charges

In June 2016, 3896 defendants in cases for these matters were filed in U.S. Magistrate Courts. These courts handle less serious misdemeanor cases, including what are called "petty offenses." In addition, complaints are sometimes filed in the magistrate courts before an indictment or information is entered. In these cases, the matter starts in the magistrate courts and later moves to the district court where subsequent proceedings take place.

In the magistrate courts in June the most frequently cited lead charge was Title 8 U.S.C Section 1325 involving "Entry of alien at improper time or place; etc.". This was the lead charge for 71.5 percent of all magistrate convictions in June.

Other frequently prosecuted lead charges include: "08 USC 1326 - Reentry of deported alien" (19.8%).

Convictions in U.S. District Courts

In June 2016, 5244 defendants in new cases for these matters were charged in the U.S. District Courts. In addition during June there were an additional 0 defendants whose cases moved from the magistrate courts to the U.S. district courts after an indictment or information was filed. The sections which follow cover both sets of cases and therefore cover all matters filed in district court during June.

Top Ranked Lead Charges

Table 2 shows the top lead charges recorded in the convictions of matters filed in U.S. District Court during June 2016.

Lead Charge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago  
08 USC 1326 - Reentry of deported alien 1,483 1 1 1 More
21 USC 841 - Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A 740 2 2 2 More
21 USC 846 - Attempt and conspiracy 453 3 3 3 More
18 USC 922 - Firearms; Unlawful acts 397 4 4 4 More
08 USC 1324 - Bringing in and harboring certain aliens 175 5 5 5 More
18 USC 2252 - Material involving sexual exploitation of minors 105 6 6 6 More
21 USC 952 - Importation of controlled substances 87 7 7 8 More
18 USC 371 - Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud US 71 8 8 10 More
18 USC 1951 - Hobbs Act 70 9 12 17 More
18 USC 2113 - Bank robbery and incidental crimes 69 10 11 7 More
Table 2. Top Charges for Convictions

  • "Reentry of deported alien" (Title 8 U.S.C Section 1326) was the most frequent recorded lead charge. "Reentry of deported alien" (Title 8 U.S.C Section 1326) was ranked 1 a year ago, while it was ranked 1 five years ago.

  • Ranked 2nd in frequency was the lead charge "Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A" under Title 21 U.S.C Section 841. "Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A" under Title 21 U.S.C Section 841 was ranked 2 a year ago, while it was ranked 2 five years ago.

  • Ranked 3rd was "Attempt and conspiracy" under Title 21 U.S.C Section 846. "Attempt and conspiracy" under Title 21 U.S.C Section 846 was ranked 3 a year ago, while it was ranked 3 five years ago.

Among these top ten lead charges, the one showing the greatest increase in convictions — up 11.2 percent — compared to one year ago was Title 18 U.S.C Section 1951 that involves " Hobbs Act ". This was the same statute that had the largest increase — 54.2 % — when compared with five years ago.

Again among the top ten lead charges, the one showing the sharpest decline in convictions compared to one year ago — down 18.8 percent — was " Attempt and conspiracy " (Title 21 U.S.C Section 846 ). Compared to five years ago, the most significant decline in convictions — 33.4 percent — was for convictions where the lead charge was " Bank robbery and incidental crimes " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 2113 ).

Top Ranked Judicial Districts

In June 2016 the Justice Department said the government obtained 1957.8 convictions for every ten million people in the United States.

Understandably, there is great variation in the per capita number of convictions in each of the nation's ninety-four federal judicial districts.

The districts registering the largest number of convictions per capita for these matters last month are shown in Table 3. Districts must have at least 5 convictions to receive a ranking.


Judicial District Percapita Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago  
N Mexico 38,156 663 1 4 5 More
Texas, W 8,735 508 2 1 2 More
S Dakota 7,677 54 3 42 51 More
Cal, S 7,242 210 4 5 4 More
Texas, S 6,279 496 5 2 1 More
D. C. 6,248 35 6 78 68 More
Montana 5,692 49 7 46 77 More
Vermont 5,367 28 8 79 89 More
N Dakota 5,232 33 9 51 62 More
Nebraska 3,228 51 10 32 36 More
Table 3. Top 10 Districts (per ten million people)

  • The District of New Mexico — with 38156 convictions as compared with 1957.8 convictions per ten million population in the United States — was the most active during June 2016. The District of New Mexico was ranked 4 a year ago, while it was ranked 5 for most frequent use five years ago.

  • The Western District of Texas (San Antonio) ranked 2nd. The Western District of Texas (San Antonio) was ranked 1 a year ago, while it was ranked 2 for most frequent use five years ago.

  • District of South Dakota is now ranking 3rd.

Recent entrants to the top 10 list were Nebraska , now ranked 10th , and South Dakota at 3rd In the same order, these districts ranked 32nd and 42nd one year ago and 36th and 51st five years ago.

The federal judicial district which showed the greatest growth in the rate of convictions compared to one year ago — 21.3 percent — was Montana . This was the same district that had the largest increase — 89.9 percent — when compared with five years ago.

In the last year, the judicial District Court recording the largest drop in the rate of convictions — 31.9 percent — was Southern District of California (San Diego).  This was the same district that had the largest increase — 40.9 percent — when compared with five years ago.

Top Ranked District Judges

At any one time, there are about 680 federal District Court judges working in the United States. The judges recorded with the largest number of new crime cases resulting in convictions of this type during June 2016 are shown in Table 4.

Judge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago  
Brack, Robert C. N Mexico 187 1 1 12 More
Marten, John Thomas N Mexico 172 2 52 856 More
Moses, Alia M. Texas, W 157 3 3 1 More
Gonzales, Kenneth John N Mexico 122 4 2 - More
Olvera, Jose Rolando, Jr. Texas, S 79 5 - - More
Baldock, Bobby Ray N Mexico 73 6 1,081 454 More
Kazen, George P. Texas, S 59 7 12 2 More
Hanen, Andrew S. Texas, S 57 8 4 17 More
Ramos, Nelva Gonzales Texas, S 39 9 19 - More
Lemelle, Ivan L. R. Texas, W 39 9 22 - More
Table 4. Top Ten Judges

All 10 of the "top ten" judges were in districts which were in the top ten with the largest number of convictions per capit.

  • Judge Robert C. Brack in the District of New Mexico ranked 1st with 187 convicted in convictions. Judge Brack also appeared in the top ten rankings one year ago (ranked 1).

  • Judge John Thomas Marten in the District of New Mexico ranked 2nd with 172 convicted in convictions.

  • Judge Alia M. Moses in the Western District of Texas (San Antonio) ranked 3rd with 157 convicted in convictions. Judge Moses appeared in the top ten rankings one year (ranked 3) and five years ago (rank 1).

Report Generated: August 5, 2016
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