Burglary in Palm Beach County, Florida
608 cases (2025) · Palm Beach County courts
Updated September 2026 · 2025 data
In 2025, Palm Beach County convicted 75.9% of burglary defendants across 609 cases. The 15.9% withheld adjudication rate (guilt found, no formal conviction) exceeded the statewide 13.1%, meaning more defendants avoided conviction records. Zero dismissals occurred against the 1.5% statewide rate. Diversion programs were utilized in 3.1% of cases, slightly above the 2.3% state average.
Confinement was high: 49.9% received prison and 38.9% received jail time, creating overlapping exposure. Average sentences reached 1,273 days, though the median of 366 days suggests wide variation. Probation averaged 1,160 days. The 68.6% public defender rate indicated economic vulnerability, with private counsel in only 28.2% of cases.
Citing these figures? Attribution line and monthly data pack.
Before Court: State Attorney Decisions
Not every Burglary charge in Palm Beach County makes it in front of a judge. Of 1,981 prosecutor decisions on Burglary charges (2023-2025), the State Attorney declined to file, dropped, or dismissed 11.9% — below the 31.1% statewide rate. These decisions happen early in a case, before trial.
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.
Outcome Breakdown (2025)
Exhibit · Case outcomes (2025)
Largest outcomeGuilty — 76.3% of 608 cases.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 608 cases · 2025 — FloridaCourtFile.com
Sentencing Breakdown (2025)
Exhibit · Sentencing when convicted (2025)
Confinement-type detail below is computed across all available years (2023-2025).
| Confinement Type | Count | Avg Sentence (confined) |
|---|---|---|
| State Prison Facility | 1,005 | 4.3 years |
| County Jail | 835 | 5.2 months |
Convicted defendants' full sentencing detail — sentence ranges, fines, prison vs. probation odds: Burglary sentencing in Palm Beach County.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the guilty rate for Burglary in Palm Beach County?
The guilty rate is 76.3% based on 608 cases (2025).
How often is adjudication withheld for Burglary in Palm Beach County?
Adjudication is withheld in 16.0% 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 Burglary in Palm Beach County?
Among convictions that included confinement, the average sentence is 3.5 years, with an average fine of $2 (2025).
What percentage use a public defender vs private attorney?
69.4% of defendants use a public defender, while 27.5% retain private counsel (2025).
Counsel Analysis (2025)
Demographics (2025)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 350 | 77.4% | 0.0% |
| White | 258 | 74.8% | 0.0% |
Age Distribution (2025)
Year-Over-Year Trends
Exhibit · Disposition trends
| Year | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate | Avg Sentence (confined) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 751 | 81.5% | 0.9% | 1 year, 11 months |
| 2024 | 683 | 81.6% | 0.1% | 2.3 years |
| 2025 | 608 | 76.3% | 0.0% | 3.5 years |
Quarterly detail
Quarterly figures recompute from monthly disposition counts; quarters with fewer than 30 cases are suppressed.
Charge Level Breakdown
| Level | Degree | Cases |
|---|---|---|
| Felony | Third Degree | 1,532 |
| Felony | Second Degree | 375 |
| Felony | First Degree | 134 |
| Felony | Life | 1 |
Related Charges in Palm Beach County
Rates shown are 2025 unless marked otherwise.
| Charge | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traffic Offense | 18,615 | 27.2% | 0.4% |
| Other | 5,545 | 11.7% | 0.4% |
| Drug Possession | 3,575 | 68.3% | 0.3% |
| Larceny / Theft | 3,172 | 64.3% | 0.5% |
| Battery | 2,688 | 45.3% | 0.5% |
| Trespassing | 2,272 | 69.6% | 1.2% |
| Resisting Officer | 2,093 | 62.0% | 0.5% |
| DUI | 1,692 | 95.6% | 0.3% |
Cite this page
FloridaCourtFile.com (2026). Burglary in Palm Beach County, Florida (2025). Based on 608 public court records; last updated September 2026. https://www.floridacourtfile.com/charges/burglary/palm-beach
About this data: Statistics are derived from FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency records for Palm Beach 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 · 608 cases (2025) · Data last updated September 2026 — FloridaCourtFile.com