Judge James Block Zagel
September 2012: Average Prison Sentence
District Court - Illinois North
District Court - Illinois North
For all cases disposed of in the current fiscal year (2012) that were credited to Judge James Block Zagel in the Northern District of Illinois, the average prison sentence was 79.2 months. This number is 17.0% higher than the average prison sentence for all the Northern District of Illinois matters disposed in the same period. At the same time, the judge's average prison sentence was 70.3% higher than the typical 2012 sentence for the nation as a whole. During the current fiscal year, Judge James Block Zagel has sentenced 48 defendants compared with 46 defendants during the twelve months of the previous fiscal year.
Focusing on a five-year period, the average prison sentence imposed on defendants that were credited to Judge Zagel was 72.7 months. This was 2.4% higher than the 71.0 months typical in Illinois North and 50.5% higher than the 48.3 months average prison sentence for the nation. Judge James Block Zagel sentenced 206 defendants during the past five years.
(CAUTION: The kinds of cases handled by individual judges influences statistical information about their sentences. It therefore is important to consider the breakdown of cases that each has handled, available below, when making judge-by-judge comparisons.)
Figure 1 compares Judge Zagel's numbers to those for judges in this district and in the United States as a whole for cases of this type over the last five years.
During the last five years there were 26 other judges in the Northern District of Illinois with information on convictions during that period. Average prison sentence numbers passed down for those judges ranged from 48.3 months to 115.1 months, putting Judge Zagel's average prison sentence of 72.7 months at the higher end of the range. The average prison sentence for the whole Northern District of Illinois during that time was 71.0 months.
Professional Biography
Born 1941 in Chicago, IL
Federal Judicial Service
Judge, U. S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
Nominated by Ronald Reagan on February 2, 1987, to a seat vacated by Frank J. McGarr; Confirmed by the Senate on April 21, 1987, and received commission on April 22, 1987.
Education:
University of Chicago, B.A., 1962
University of Chicago, M.A., 1962
Harvard Law School, J.D., 1965
Professional Career:
Assistant state's attorney, Cook County, Illinois, 1965-1969
Assistant attorney general, State of Illinois, 1969-1977
Deputy chief, Criminal Justice Division, 1969-1970
Chief, Criminal Justice Division, 1970-1977
Chief prosecuting attorney, Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board, 1973-1975
Chief assistant attorney general, State of Arizona, 1975
Executive director, Illinois Law Enforcement Commision, 1977-1979
Director, Department of Revenue, State of Illinois, 1979-1980
Chairman, Governor's Advisory Counsel on Criminal Justice Legislation, 1980-1987
Director of state police, State of Illinois, 1980-1987
Program Areas of Cases Handled
Cases disposed of by Judge James Block Zagel for the past five years fell into a number of broad categories. The lead category for these cases was Narcotics/Drugs accounting for 38.8% of cases.
Other major categories with substantial numbers of cases that were disposed by Judge James Block Zagel over the past five years were: White Collar Crime (19.9%), Other (12.1%), Immigration (8.3%), Withheld by Govt from TRAC (8.3%), Organized Crime (5.3%), Government Regulatory (3.9%).
| Program Area | Judge | District | US | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Narcotics/Drugs | 38.8% | 30.1% | 28.5% | More |
| White Collar Crime | 19.9% | 20.3% | 8.9% | More |
| Other | 12.1% | 18.2% | 10.4% | More |
| Immigration | 8.3% | 11.5% | 33.2% | More |
| Not specified | 8.3% | 10.1% | 6.2% | More |
| Organized Crime | 5.3% | 0.8% | 0.5% | More |
| Government Regulatory | 3.9% | 2.3% | 1.7% | |
| Weapons | 2.9% | 5.9% | 9.2% | |
| National Internal Security/Terrorism | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
Table 2: Composition of Cases for the Past Five Years (Top 10)
Lead Investigative Agencies in Cases Handled
The lead investigative agency that referred cases disposed of by Judge James Block Zagel for the past five years was the Justice - Federal Bureau of Investigation. It accounted for 32.5% of all cases.
Other agencies with substantial numbers of cases that were disposed by Judge James Block Zagel over the past five years were: Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration (18.9%), Justice - Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (formerly Treasury) (14.1%), Homeland Security - Immigration and Customs Enforcement (9.2%), Treasury - Internal Revenue Service (6.8%), Postal Service (5.8%), Homeland Security - Secret Service (formerly Treasury) (4.9%).
| Agency | Judge | District | US | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justice - Federal Bureau of Investigation | 32.5% | 37.6% | 13.9% | More |
| Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration | 18.9% | 15.6% | 16.3% | More |
| Justice - Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (formerly Treasury) | 14.1% | 9.9% | 10.6% | More |
| Homeland Security - Immigration and Customs Enforcement | 9.2% | 15.1% | 20.2% | More |
| Treasury - Internal Revenue Service | 6.8% | 3.7% | 1.4% | More |
| Postal Service | 5.8% | 5.0% | 2.5% | More |
| Homeland Security - Secret Service (formerly Treasury) | 4.9% | 3.7% | 2.8% | More |
| Other | 1.9% | 1.0% | 1.6% | |
| Other - Small Business Administration | 1.5% | 0.1% | 0.0% | |
| Other - Social Security Administration | 1.5% | 1.4% | 0.6% |
Table 3: Composition of Cases for the Past Five Years (Top 10)
Lead Charges in Cases Handled
The lead charge with the most cases disposed of by Judge James Block Zagel for the past five years was "21 USC 841 - Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A". It accounted for 29.6% of all cases.
Other lead charges with substantial numbers of cases that were disposed by Judge James Block Zagel over the past five years were: "21 USC 846 - Attempt and conspiracy" (11.2%), "Withheld by govt from TRAC (FOIA challenge pending)" (9.7%), "08 USC 1326 - Reentry of deported alien" (8.3%), "18 USC 1962 - RICO - prohibited activities" (5.3%), "18 USC 2113 - Bank robbery and incidental crimes" (5.3%), "18 USC 1341 - Mail Fraud - Frauds and swindles" (4.9%), "18 USC 1344 - Bank Fraud" (4.4%).
| Lead Charge | Judge | District | US | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 USC 841 - Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A | 29.6% | 15.9% | 15.0% | More |
| 21 USC 846 - Attempt and conspiracy | 11.2% | 12.9% | 10.7% | More |
| Not specified | 9.7% | 10.5% | 6.2% | More |
| 08 USC 1326 - Reentry of deported alien | 8.3% | 10.4% | 25.1% | More |
| 18 USC 1962 - RICO - prohibited activities | 5.3% | 0.3% | 0.2% | More |
| 18 USC 2113 - Bank robbery and incidental crimes | 5.3% | 8.9% | 1.6% | More |
| 18 USC 1341 - Mail Fraud - Frauds and swindles | 4.9% | 5.2% | 1.1% | More |
| 18 USC 1344 - Bank Fraud | 4.4% | 2.1% | 1.2% | |
| 18 USC 641 - Public money, property or records | 2.4% | 1.9% | 0.9% | |
| 18 USC 1343 - Fraud by wire, radio, or television | 2.4% | 3.8% | 0.8% |
Table 4: Composition of Cases for the Past Five Years (Top 10)
Number of Defendants in Judge James Block Zagel's Cases
| Case | Def. | Sentence (Months) | Sentencing Date | Program Category | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 78.00 | 09/06/12 | Bank Robbery | Details |
| 2 | 1 | 60.00 | 08/21/12 | Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force | Details |
| 3 | 2 | 89.00 | 07/30/12 | Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force | Details |
| 4 | 1 | 157.00 | 07/19/12 | Weapons-Operation Triggerlock Major | Details |
| 5 | 1 | 292.00 | 07/18/12 | Drugs-Drug Trafficking | Details |
| 6 | 2 | 0.00 | 07/17/12 | Withheld by Govt from TRAC (FOIA challenge pending) | Details |
| 7 | 1 | 360.00 | 07/03/12 | Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force | Details |
| 3 | 1 | 66.00 | 06/27/12 | Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force | Details |
| 8 | 1 | 30.00 | 06/26/12 | Other Criminal Prosecutions | Details |
| 9 | 1 | 60.00 | 06/26/12 | Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force | Details |
| 10 | 1 | 0.10 | 06/15/12 | Fraud-Financial Institution | Details |
| 11 | 1 | 2.00 | 06/14/12 | Fraud-Computer | Details |
| 12 | 1 | 121.00 | 06/12/12 | Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force | Details |
| 13 | 1 | 0.00 | 06/11/12 | Immigration | Details |
| 14 | 1 | 90.00 | 06/08/12 | Terrorism-International | Details |
| 15 | 1 | 41.00 | 06/06/12 | Fraud-Tax | Details |
| 16 | 1 | 135.00 | 06/06/12 | Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force | Details |
| 15 | 2 | 41.00 | 06/04/12 | Fraud-Tax | Details |
| 16 | 2 | 135.00 | 06/04/12 | Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force | Details |
| 17 | 1 | 0.34 | 05/31/12 | Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force | Details |
| 18 | 1 | 168.00 | 05/25/12 | Bank Robbery | Details |
| 19 | 1 | 0.00 | 05/24/12 | Withheld by Govt from TRAC (FOIA challenge pending) | Details |
| 20 | 1 | 12.03 | 04/27/12 | Immigration | Details |
| 21 | 1 | 70.00 | 04/26/12 | Weapons-Operation Triggerlock Major | Details |
| 7 | 4 | 18.00 | 04/20/12 | Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force | Details |
| 22 | 1 | 57.00 | 04/18/12 | Immigration | Details |
| 23 | 1 | 90.00 | 04/17/12 | Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force | Details |
| 24 | 2 | 24.00 | 04/03/12 | Other Criminal Prosecutions | Details |
| 24 | 3 | 0.33 | 03/28/12 | Other Criminal Prosecutions | Details |
| 25 | 1 | 8.00 | 03/01/12 | Immigration | Details |
| 26 | 1 | 144.00 | 02/29/12 | Bank Robbery | Details |
| 7 | 2 | 120.00 | 02/28/12 | Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force | Details |
| 27 | 1 | 84.00 | 01/30/12 | Immigration | Details |
| 7 | 5 | 240.00 | 01/17/12 | Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force | Details |
| 28 | 2 | 87.00 | 01/11/12 | Money Laundering-Drug | Details |
| 6 | 1 | 90.00 | 12/22/11 | Withheld by Govt from TRAC (FOIA challenge pending) | Details |
| 28 | 1 | 36.00 | 12/22/11 | Money Laundering-Drug | Details |
| 29 | 1 | 18.00 | 12/16/11 | Money Laundering-Drug | Details |
| 30 | 1 | 22.00 | 12/14/11 | Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force | Details |
| 7 | 3 | 240.00 | 12/13/11 | Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force | Details |
| 31 | 1 | 90.00 | 12/08/11 | Other Criminal Prosecutions | Details |
| 24 | 1 | 168.00 | 12/07/11 | Other Criminal Prosecutions | Details |
| 7 | 6 | 120.00 | 12/05/11 | Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force | Details |
| 32 | 1 | 48.00 | 11/09/11 | Immigration | Details |
| 33 | 1 | 60.00 | 10/26/11 | Other Criminal Prosecutions | Details |
| 34 | 1 | 0.00 | 10/24/11 | Fraud-Other | Details |
| 35 | 1 | 0.00 | 10/19/11 | Fraud-Tax | Details |
| 36 | 1 | 30.00 | 10/17/11 | Fraud-Federal Program | Details |
Table 5: Individual Cases and Defendants Disposed of in Current Fiscal Year