Battery in Lee County, Florida

717 cases (2025) · Lee County courts

In 2025, Lee County resolved 717 battery cases with a 71.7% guilty verdict rate—substantially above Florida's typical outcomes. Adjudication withheld occurred in 13.7% of cases compared to the statewide average of 17.9%, and diversion to programs dropped to just 6.4% versus 10.2% statewide. These figures reflect a local prosecution strategy emphasizing conviction over alternative disposition, with dismissals (2.5%) remaining close to state levels.

Defendants here face significant sentences: an average of 578 days in custody plus 638 days probation, though the median 150-day sentence indicates concentration in shorter terms. Confinement splits evenly between jail (33.6%) and prison (10.5%). Notably, only 18.8% of defendants have public defender representation and 13.0% retain private counsel, suggesting a high proportion with other representation types or self-representation.

717
Total Cases (2025)
71.7%
Guilty Rate
13.7%
Withheld Rate
2.5%
Dismissal Rate
vs 2.9% statewide, 2025
1 year, 7 months
Avg Sentence

Not every Battery charge in Lee County makes it in front of a judge. Of 10,471 prosecutor decisions on Battery charges (2023-2025), the State Attorney declined to file, dropped, or dismissed 75.6% — above the 53.9% statewide rate. These decisions happen early in a case, before trial.

Filed for prosecution
17.8% (1,868)
Declined to file
0.0% (0)
Dropped after filing
75.0% (7,858)
Administratively dismissed
0.5% (53)
Pre-trial diversion
6.6% (692)

Source: Florida Department of Law Enforcement, State Attorney case data (2023-2025). Rates are per charge, not per defendant — a dropped charge often reflects a plea agreement on another charge in the same case, not the case going away. Percentages are of charges receiving a prosecution decision; transfers between courts are excluded. Court outcome data on this page is a separate dataset covering cases that reached disposition. Statewide charging patterns: The Florida Prosecution Report.

I Outcomes

Exhibit · Case outcomes (2025)

Guilty
71.7% (514)
Withheld
13.7% (98)
Diversion
6.4% (46)
Dismissed
2.5% (18)
Acquitted
2.5% (18)

Largest outcomeGuilty — 71.7% of 717 cases.

Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 717 cases · 2025 — FloridaCourtFile.com

II Sentencing

Exhibit · Sentencing when convicted (2025)

1 year, 7 months
Avg Sentence
5.0 months
Median Sentence
1 year, 9 months
Avg Probation
10.5%
Prison Rate
33.6%
Jail Rate

Confinement-type detail below is computed across all available years (2023-2025).

Confinement Type Count Avg Sentence
County Jail 688 4.8 months
State Prison Facility 162 5.6 years
135
Public Defender
60.0% guilty · 0.7% dismissed
93
Private Attorney
49.5% guilty · 0.0% dismissed
14
Court Private or Assigned Counsel
64.3% guilty · 0.0% dismissed

Demographic data reflects systemic patterns in the criminal justice system and should not be used to draw conclusions about any racial or ethnic group. Disparities may reflect differences in policing, prosecution, and socioeconomic factors rather than actual crime rates.

Race Cases Guilty Rate Dismissal Rate
White 538 71.6% 1.9%
Black 171 71.9% 4.7%
5.4%
Under 21
24.8%
21-29
32.4%
30-39
20.1%
40-49
10.5%
50-59
6.8%
60+

Exhibit · Disposition trends

Year Cases Guilty Rate Dismissal Rate Avg Sentence
2023 632 70.3% 2.2% 1 year, 3 months
2024 611 74.8% 1.5% 1 year, 4 months
2025 717 71.7% 2.5% 1 year, 7 months

Quarterly detail

1.8%
1.2%
2.3%
3.5%
4.0%
0.7%
1.2%
0.0%
0.6%
3.7%
1.6%
4.0%
Q1’23 Q2’23 Q3’23 Q4’23 Q1’24 Q2’24 Q3’24 Q4’24 Q1’25 Q2’25 Q3’25 Q4’25

Quarterly figures recompute from monthly disposition counts; quarters with fewer than 30 cases are suppressed.

Level Degree Cases
Misdemeanor First Degree 1,281
Felony Third Degree 582
Felony Second Degree 86
Felony First Degree 10
Felony First Degree punishable by life 1
Charge Cases Guilty Rate Dismissal Rate
Traffic Offense 4,039 67.2% 0.2%
Drug Possession 2,117 77.4% 0.1%
DUI 1,301 98.9% 0.2%
Larceny / Theft 913 82.4% 0.5%
Resisting Officer 686 84.0% 1.9%
Trespassing 456 83.3% 5.9%
Other 458 72.5% 1.5%
Burglary 267 74.5% 1.1%
III Getting Help

Need a Defense Attorney in Lee County?

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What is the guilty rate for Battery in Lee County?

The guilty rate is 71.7% based on 717 cases (2025).

How often is adjudication withheld for Battery in Lee County?

Adjudication is withheld in 13.7% of cases (2025). This is a Florida-specific outcome where the court finds guilt but does not formally convict, allowing the defendant to avoid a conviction record under FL Statute 948.01.

What is the average sentence for Battery in Lee County?

The average sentence is 1 year, 7 months (2025).

What percentage use a public defender vs private attorney?

18.8% of defendants use a public defender, while 13.0% retain private counsel (2025).

Cite this page

FloridaCourtFile.com (2026). Battery in Lee County, Florida (2025). Based on 717 public court records; last updated July 2026. https://www.floridacourtfile.com/charges/battery/lee

About this data: Statistics are derived from FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency records for Lee County. "Guilty" includes all cases where the defendant was found guilty. "Adjudication withheld" is a Florida-specific disposition where guilt is found but the court withholds formal adjudication under FL Statute 948.01. "Dismissed" includes all cases dismissed by the court or prosecution.

Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 717 cases (2025) · Data last updated July 2026 — FloridaCourtFile.com