Florida Conviction Rates in 2024: A County-by-County Analysis

Florida’s criminal court system processes hundreds of thousands of cases each year across 67 counties and 20 judicial circuits. But conviction rates are far from uniform. Our analysis of 1.69 million FDLE Clerk Case records reveals significant county-by-county variation in how cases are resolved—from the percentage of defendants found guilty to how often courts exercise Florida’s distinctive “adjudication withheld” option.

Statewide Trends

Across all charge categories and counties, Florida’s criminal courts produce a clear pattern: the majority of cases that reach resolution end in some form of guilty finding. However, the manner of that resolution matters enormously. Florida is one of the only states that allows judges to “withhold adjudication”—finding sufficient evidence of guilt but choosing not to formally enter a conviction on the defendant’s record.

This means that Florida’s “conviction rate” is more nuanced than a simple guilty/not guilty binary. When you account for adjudication withheld, the effective conviction rate drops significantly, because those defendants avoid the legal and collateral consequences of a formal conviction.

High-Conviction Counties

Several Florida counties consistently show above-average guilty rates across multiple charge categories. Rural and mid-size counties in North Florida and the Panhandle tend to have the highest conviction rates. These jurisdictions often have smaller public defender caseloads relative to urban areas, fewer diversion programs, and more conservative jury pools.

Counties in the judicial circuits covering the Panhandle (1st, 2nd, and 14th Circuits) frequently post guilty rates 5–10 percentage points above the statewide average for major charge categories like DUI and battery.

Low-Conviction Counties

Urban counties with large, well-resourced public defender offices and extensive pre-trial diversion programs tend to show lower guilty rates. Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties—which together process a large share of the state’s criminal cases—often have below-average conviction rates for non-violent offenses.

This does not necessarily mean these counties are “softer” on crime. Lower guilty rates can reflect higher dismissal rates (often due to overcrowded dockets and resource constraints), greater use of pre-trial diversion, and more frequent plea negotiations resulting in adjudication withheld.

Adjudication Withheld: Florida’s Third Option

One of the most distinctive features of Florida’s criminal justice system is the widespread use of adjudication withheld. Our data shows that adjudication withheld rates vary dramatically by charge type and county:

• Drug possession cases see some of the highest withheld rates, often exceeding 30% in counties with active drug court programs
• DUI cases have lower withheld rates because Florida law restricts withholding adjudication on second and subsequent DUI offenses
• Felony offenses generally have lower withheld rates than misdemeanors, though the practice is still common for third-degree felonies like grand theft

Dismissal Rate Patterns

Dismissal rates tell an important story about prosecutorial priorities and resources. Statewide, certain charge categories have consistently high dismissal rates:

• Domestic violence cases are dismissed at higher rates than other violent crimes, often because the alleged victim becomes uncooperative or recants
• Drug possession cases may be dismissed due to search and seizure issues (Fourth Amendment challenges)
• Misdemeanor assault cases are dismissed at elevated rates, often due to witness availability issues

Year-Over-Year Changes

Comparing 2023 to 2024 data reveals several notable trends. Dismissal rates for low-level drug offenses have risen slightly in several urban counties, consistent with evolving prosecutorial priorities around drug enforcement. Meanwhile, DUI conviction rates have remained relatively stable, reflecting the high priority most State Attorney’s Offices place on impaired driving prosecution.

Some counties show a noticeable uptick in pre-trial diversion usage for first-time, non-violent offenders. This trend aligns with broader national movements toward alternative disposition programs and appears particularly pronounced in circuits that have expanded their drug court and mental health court programs.

What This Means for Defendants

The county-level variation in conviction rates has real consequences for defendants. A person charged with the same offense in two different Florida counties may face meaningfully different odds of conviction, likelihood of adjudication withheld, and potential sentence length. This underscores the importance of working with a defense attorney who understands the local court culture, prosecutorial tendencies, and available diversion programs in the specific county where charges are filed.

Explore the Data

You can explore conviction rates for any charge in any Florida county using our free database. Start with the charges index to browse by offense type, or use the county pages to compare jurisdictions side by side.