Burglary in Clay County, Florida

Burglary cases in Clay County result in conviction at notably high rates: 77.2 percent of defendants are found guilty, and another 19.2 percent receive withheld adjudication, meaning judges find guilt but spare them a formal conviction record. Combined, 96.4 percent of burglary cases end in a finding of guilt. This contrasts sharply with statewide patterns, where withheld adjudication occurs in only 12.9 percent of burglary cases. Clay County's dismissal rate of 2.6 percent also exceeds the statewide average of 1.5 percent, suggesting slightly more cases fail prosecution but the overall conviction rate remains exceptionally strong. No defendants accessed diversion programs in the data, compared to a statewide average of 2.1 percent, indicating Clay County prosecutors and judges are not routing burglary defendants away from the criminal justice system.

Sentences are substantial. Defendants who receive confinement spend an average of 1,183 days in custody, with a median of 729 days, reflecting wide variation in case severity. Prison time is more common than jail: 58 percent of sentenced defendants go to prison while 36.8 percent serve jail time. Average probation spans nearly three years, and fines average $563. The lengthy average sentence combined with high confinement rates demonstrates that Clay County treats burglary as a serious felony with custodial consequences in most resolved cases.