Convictions for March 2024
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during March 2024 the government reported 7178 new convictions. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is up 10 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 2024 convictions of this type are compared with those of the same period in the previous year, the number of convictions was down (-2.8%). 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 57.4 percent from levels reported in 2019.
The dip in these cases is partly related to increases in the matters filed in U.S. Magistrate Courts. If magistrate cases are excluded and only Federal District Court cases are counted, the overall decrease in convictions is 8.1 percent instead of 57.4 percent. The evidence suggests that part of the difference may be the result of improvements in the recording of the magistrate cases by the Justice Department.
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 March 2024 was for "Immigration", accounting for 38.8 percent of convictions. Convictions were also filed for "Drugs-Drug Trafficking" (14.6%), "Weapons-Operation Triggerlock Major" (12.1%), "Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force" (8.3%), "Project Safe Childhood" (3.4%), "Withheld by Govt from TRAC (FOIA challen" (3.4%), "Assimilated Crimes" (2.1%). See Figure 2.
The lead investigative agency for convictions in March 2024 was DHS accounting for 45 percent of convictions. Other agencies with substantial numbers of convictions were: FBI (16% ), DEA (12%), ATF (10%), Local (3%). See Figure 3.
Convictions in U.S. Magistrate Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
In March 2024, 950 defendants were convicted 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 March 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 71.2 percent of all magistrate convictions in March.
Other frequently prosecuted lead charges include: "18 USC 13 - Laws of States Adopted in Federal jurisdiction" (12.3%).
Convictions in U.S. District Courts
In March 2024, 6228 defendants in new cases for these matters were charged in the U.S. District Courts. In addition during March 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 March.
Top Ranked Lead Charges
Table 2 shows the top lead charges recorded in the convictions of matters filed in U.S. District Court during March 2024.
Lead Charge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago 08 USC 1326 - Reentry of deported alien 1,517 1 1 1 More 21 USC 841 - Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A 941 2 2 2 More 18 USC 922 - Firearms; Unlawful acts 760 3 3 3 More 21 USC 846 - Attempt and conspiracy 485 4 5 4 More 08 USC 1324 - Bringing in and harboring certain aliens 447 5 4 5 More 18 USC 1343 - Fraud by wire, radio, or television 164 6 8 9 More 18 USC 2252 - Material involving sexual exploitation of minors 94 8 9 7 More 21 USC 952 - Importation of controlled substances 60 9 6 6 More 18 USC 1752 - Temporary residence and office of President, etc. 59 10 25 233 More 18 USC 1951 - Hobbs Act 59 10 10 10 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 "Firearms; Unlawful acts" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 922. "Firearms; Unlawful acts" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 922 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 32.7 percent — compared to one year ago was Title 18 U.S.C Section 1343 that involves " Fraud by wire, radio, or television ". Compared to five years ago, the largest increase — 11000 percent — was registered for convictions under " Temporary residence and office of President, etc. " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 1752 ).
Again among the top ten lead charges, the one showing the sharpest decline in convictions compared to one year ago — down 38.2 percent — was " Importation of controlled substances " (Title 21 U.S.C Section 952 ). This was the same statute that had the largest decrease — 43 % — when compared with five years ago.
Top Ranked Judicial Districts
In March 2024 the Justice Department's case-by-case records show that the government obtained 2242.4 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 D. C. 20,363 114 1 25 59 More Texas, W 14,067 915 2 3 1 More S Dakota 8,569 64 3 41 38 More Texas, S 7,468 635 4 2 2 More Mo, E 7,413 180 5 10 12 More Okla, N 7,318 67 6 58 84 More N Mexico 6,643 117 7 5 4 More Arizona 6,474 397 8 1 5 More Cal, S 6,078 175 9 4 3 More Okla, E 6,007 37 10 80 92 More Table 3. Top 10 Districts (per ten million people)
The District of Washington, D.C. (Washington) — with 20363 convictions as compared with 2242.4 convictions per ten million population in the United States — was the most active during March 2024.
The Western District of Texas (San Antonio) ranked 2nd. The Western District of Texas (San Antonio) was ranked 3 a year ago, while it was ranked 1 for most frequent use five years ago.
District of South Dakota is now ranking 3rd.
Recent entrants to the top 10 list were Washington, D.C. (Washington), now ranked 1st , and South Dakota at 3rd In the same order, these districts ranked 25th and 41st one year ago and 59th and 38th five years ago.
The federal judicial district which showed the greatest growth in the rate of convictions compared to one year ago — 99.3 percent — was Northern District of Oklahoma (Tulsa). This was the same district that had the largest increase — 247.6 percent — when compared with five years ago.
In the last year, the judicial District Court recording the largest drop in the rate of convictions — 33.1 percent — was New Mexico . This was the same district that had the largest increase — 63.7 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 March 2024 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago Moses, Alia M. Texas, W 229 1 5 9 More Garcia Marmolejo, Marina Texas, S 126 2 11 31 More Counts, Walter David, III Texas, W 123 3 1 2 More Cardone, Kathleen Texas, W 109 4 15 3 More Zainey, Jay C. Texas, W 108 5 35 1 More Saldana, Diana Texas, S 104 6 6 23 More Crane, Randy Texas, S 72 7 10 6 More Lemmon, Mary Ann Vial Texas, W 62 8 29 45 More Guaderrama, David C. Texas, W 52 9 14 7 More Gonzales, Kenneth John N Mexico 43 10 9 10 More Rodriguez, Fernando, Jr. Texas, S 43 10 3 16 More Table 4. Top Ten Judges
All 11 of the "top ten" judges were in districts which were in the top ten with the largest number of convictions per capit. (Because of ties, there were a total of 11 judges in the "top ten" rankings.)
Judge Alia M. Moses in the Western District of Texas (San Antonio) ranked 1st with 229 convicted in convictions. Judge Moses appeared in the top ten rankings one year (ranked 5) and five years ago (rank 9).
Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo in the Southern District of Texas (Houston) ranked 2nd with 126 convicted in convictions.
Judge Walter David Counts, III in the Western District of Texas (San Antonio) ranked 3rd with 123 convicted in convictions. Judge Counts appeared in the top ten rankings one year (ranked 1) and five years ago (rank 2).
Report Generated: May 10, 2024
