Burglary in Santa Rosa County, Florida

In Santa Rosa County, burglary defendants face a conviction-heavy system. The 85 percent guilty rate substantially exceeds the typical outcome for this charge statewide, and judges withheld adjudication in only 9.4 percent of cases compared to the state average of 12.9 percent. Most striking is the dismissal rate of 0.4 percent—nearly four times lower than the statewide average of 1.5 percent—suggesting prosecutors in this circuit pursue burglary cases aggressively and judges rarely find grounds to dismiss them. The 3 percent diversion rate aligns with state norms, meaning few defendants accessed programs to avoid conviction entirely.

Confinement follows the conviction pattern. Of those convicted or receiving withheld adjudication, 61.4 percent were sentenced to prison with an average term of nearly 1,264 days. An additional 19.7 percent received jail time. The median sentence of 1,096 days indicates substantial variation in outcomes, with some cases resulting in significantly longer terms. Public defenders represented 42.5 percent of defendants, while only 2.6 percent hired private counsel, reflecting the profile of a burglary population with limited financial resources.