Burglary in St. Lucie County, Florida
186 cases (2025) · St. Lucie County courts
Updated September 2026 · 2025 data
In 2025, St. Lucie County adjudicated 186 burglary cases with an 84.9% guilty verdict rate, the highest conviction rate in the dataset. The county's approach was distinctly punitive: withheld adjudication appeared in only 7.0% of cases, far below the statewide average of 13.1%, meaning most defendants received formal conviction records. Dismissals were minimal at 0.5% versus the statewide 1.5%, and diversion was rare at 1.1% compared to 2.3% statewide. This reflects a State Attorney office committed to conviction over record protection or alternative resolution.
Sentencing was the harshest in the state. Average sentences reached 1,864 days, and 73.1% of defendants received prison—the highest incarceration rate among all counties examined. Jail confinement affected only 6.5%, as most were sentenced to prison rather than local facilities. Nearly 29% of defendants retained private counsel, the highest private attorney rate observed, though 45.2% still relied on public defenders.
Citing these figures? Attribution line and monthly data pack.
Before Court: State Attorney Decisions
Not every Burglary charge in St. Lucie County makes it in front of a judge. Of 709 prosecutor decisions on Burglary charges (2023-2025), the State Attorney declined to file, dropped, or dismissed 15.1% — 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 — 84.9% of 186 cases.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 186 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 | 417 | 5.1 years |
| County Jail | 51 | 7.0 months |
Convicted defendants' full sentencing detail — sentence ranges, fines, prison vs. probation odds: Burglary sentencing in St. Lucie County.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the guilty rate for Burglary in St. Lucie County?
The guilty rate is 84.9% based on 186 cases (2025).
How often is adjudication withheld for Burglary in St. Lucie County?
Adjudication is withheld in 7.0% 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 St. Lucie County?
Among convictions that included confinement, the average sentence is 5.1 years (2025).
What percentage use a public defender vs private attorney?
45.2% of defendants use a public defender, while 28.5% 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 | 83 | 85.5% | 1.2% |
| White | 76 | 81.6% | 0.0% |
Age Distribution (2025)
Year-Over-Year Trends
Exhibit · Disposition trends
| Year | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate | Avg Sentence (confined) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 198 | 91.9% | 1.0% | 4.7 years |
| 2024 | 200 | 80.0% | 8.0% | 4.0 years |
| 2025 | 186 | 84.9% | 0.5% | 5.1 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 | 397 |
| Felony | Second Degree | 101 |
| Felony | NULL | 41 |
| Felony | First Degree | 40 |
| Felony | Life | 5 |
Related Charges in St. Lucie County
Rates shown are 2025 unless marked otherwise.
| Charge | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drug Possession | 1,395 | 71.0% | 10.0% |
| Traffic Offense | 759 | 80.5% | 0.4% |
| Battery | 586 | 54.4% | 11.8% |
| Larceny / Theft | 619 | 76.6% | 3.2% |
| DUI | 584 | 99.3% | 0.0% |
| Other | 568 | 82.9% | 4.2% |
| Resisting Officer | 382 | 76.7% | 7.3% |
| Fraud | 326 | 70.9% | 4.3% |
Cite this page
FloridaCourtFile.com (2026). Burglary in St. Lucie County, Florida (2025). Based on 186 public court records; last updated September 2026. https://www.floridacourtfile.com/charges/burglary/st-lucie
About this data: Statistics are derived from FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency records for St. Lucie 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 · 186 cases (2025) · Data last updated September 2026 — FloridaCourtFile.com