Judge Susan Webber Wright
September 2012: Average Prison Sentence
District Court - Arkansas East
Referring Agency: Federal Bureau of Investigation
District Court - Arkansas East
Referring Agency: Federal Bureau of Investigation
For all cases disposed of in the current fiscal year (2012) that were credited to Judge Susan Webber Wright in the Eastern District of Arkansas, the average prison sentence was 33.0 months, when looking only at cases referred by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This number is 29.5% lower than the average prison sentence for all the Eastern District of Arkansas matters disposed in the same period. At the same time, the judge's average prison sentence was 57.2% lower than the typical 2012 sentence for the nation as a whole. During the current fiscal year, Judge Susan Webber Wright has sentenced 13 defendants compared with 8 defendants during the twelve months of the previous fiscal year. Judge Susan Webber Wright's service terminated on December 1, 1990, due to statutory reassignment of judg.
Focusing on a five-year period, the average prison sentence imposed on defendants that were credited to Judge Wright was 47.9 months. This was 24.3% lower than the 63.3 months typical in Arkansas East and 38.2% lower than the 77.4 months average prison sentence for the nation. Judge Susan Webber Wright sentenced 79 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 Wright'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 6 other judges in the Eastern District of Arkansas with information on convictions during that period. Average prison sentence numbers passed down for those judges ranged from 41.3 months to 71.0 months, putting Judge Wright's average prison sentence of 47.9 months at the lower end of the range. The average prison sentence for the whole Eastern District of Arkansas during that time was 63.3 months.
Professional Biography
Born 1948 in Texarkana, AR
Federal Judicial Service
Judge, U. S. District Court, Western District of Arkansas
Nominated by George H.W. Bush on September 21, 1989, to a seat vacated by Elsijane Trimble Roy; Confirmed by the Senate on January 23, 1990, and received commission on January 24, 1990. Service terminated on December 1, 1990, due to statutory reassignment of judges.
Judge, U. S. District Court, Eastern District of Arkansas
Nominated by George H.W. Bush on September 21, 1989, to a seat vacated by Elsijane Trimble Roy; Confirmed by the Senate on January 23, 1990, and received commission on January 24, 1990. Served as chief judge, 1998-2005.
Education:
Randolph-Macon Woman's College, B.A., 1970
University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, M.P.A., 1973
University of Arkansas at Fayetteville School of Law, J.D., 1975
Professional Career:
Law clerk, Hon. J. Smith Henley, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit, 1975-1976
Faculty, University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law, 1976-1990
Assistant professor and assistant dean, 1976-1978
Associate professor, 1980-1983
Professor, 1983-1990
Research assistant, Arkansas Constitutional Convention, 1979
Visiting assistant professor, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville School of Law, 1980
Visiting associate professor, Ohio State University College of Law, 1981
Visiting associate professor, Louisiana State University Law Center, 1982-1983
Program Areas of Cases Handled
Cases disposed of by Judge Susan Webber Wright for the past five years fell into a number of broad categories. The lead category for these cases was White Collar Crime accounting for 26.6% of cases.
Other major categories with substantial numbers of cases that were disposed by Judge Susan Webber Wright over the past five years were: Other (22.8%), Narcotics/Drugs (19.0%), Withheld by Govt from TRAC (17.7%), Weapons (10.1%).
| Program Area | Judge | District | US | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Collar Crime | 26.6% | 21.8% | 20.7% | More |
| Other | 22.8% | 21.3% | 32.8% | More |
| Narcotics/Drugs | 19.0% | 26.2% | 23.1% | More |
| Not specified | 17.7% | 15.7% | 10.4% | More |
| Weapons | 10.1% | 9.6% | 4.5% | |
| Government Regulatory | 1.3% | 0.2% | 1.0% | |
| Immigration | 1.3% | 0.5% | 0.6% | |
| Official Corruption | 1.3% | 1.9% | 2.5% |
Table 2: 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 Susan Webber Wright for the past five years was "Withheld by govt from TRAC (FOIA challenge pending)". It accounted for 17.7% of all cases.
Other lead charges with substantial numbers of cases that were disposed by Judge Susan Webber Wright over the past five years were: "18 USC 2252 - Material involving sexual exploitation of minors" (12.7%), "21 USC 846 - Attempt and conspiracy" (8.9%), "18 USC 1343 - Fraud by wire, radio, or television" (7.6%), "21 USC 841 - Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A" (7.6%), "18 USC 1341 - Mail Fraud - Frauds and swindles" (6.3%), "18 USC 2113 - Bank robbery and incidental crimes" (6.3%), "18 USC 922 - Firearms; Unlawful acts" (5.1%), "18 USC 1347 - Health Care Fraud" (3.8%).
| Lead Charge | Judge | District | US | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not specified | 17.7% | 15.9% | 10.6% | More |
| 18 USC 2252 - Material involving sexual exploitation of minors | 12.7% | 6.1% | 4.8% | More |
| 21 USC 846 - Attempt and conspiracy | 8.9% | 16.9% | 11.0% | |
| 18 USC 1343 - Fraud by wire, radio, or television | 7.6% | 6.6% | 3.2% | |
| 21 USC 841 - Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A | 7.6% | 8.9% | 11.0% | |
| 18 USC 1341 - Mail Fraud - Frauds and swindles | 6.3% | 3.3% | 3.8% | |
| 18 USC 2113 - Bank robbery and incidental crimes | 6.3% | 9.8% | 11.0% | |
| 18 USC 922 - Firearms; Unlawful acts | 5.1% | 2.6% | 2.6% | |
| 18 USC 1347 - Health Care Fraud | 3.8% | 3.5% | 1.4% | |
| 18 USC 666 - Theft or bribery in programs receiving Fed funds | 2.5% | 1.2% | 0.7% |
Table 3: Composition of Cases for the Past Five Years (Top 10)
Number of Defendants in Judge Susan Webber Wright's Cases
| Case | Def. | Sentence (Months) | Sentencing Date | Program Category | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 13.00 | 09/14/12 | Withheld by Govt from TRAC (FOIA challenge pending) | Details |
| 1 | 2 | 36.00 | 09/07/12 | Withheld by Govt from TRAC (FOIA challenge pending) | Details |
| 2 | 1 | 108.00 | 09/07/12 | Project Safe Childhood | Details |
| 1 | 1 | 60.00 | 08/16/12 | Withheld by Govt from TRAC (FOIA challenge pending) | Details |
| 3 | 2 | 0.00 | 07/31/12 | Violence-Other | Details |
| 3 | 1 | 15.00 | 05/01/12 | Violence-Other | Details |
| 4 | 1 | 12.00 | 03/23/12 | Other Criminal Prosecutions | Details |
| 5 | 1 | 36.00 | 03/22/12 | Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force | Details |
| 6 | 1 | 42.00 | 02/22/12 | Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force | Details |
| 7 | 1 | 24.00 | 01/31/12 | Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force | Details |
| 8 | 1 | 20.00 | 12/01/11 | Fraud-Tax | Details |
| 9 | 1 | 15.00 | 10/25/11 | Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force | Details |
| 10 | 1 | 48.00 | 10/04/11 | Fraud-Financial Institution | Details |
Table 4: Individual Cases and Defendants Disposed of in Current Fiscal Year