Child Abuse / Neglect in Holmes County, Florida
74 cases (2023-2025) · Holmes County courts
Updated September 2026 · 2023-2025 data
From 2023 to 2025, Holmes County prosecuted 74 child abuse/neglect cases with an 86.5% guilty rate. The 13.5% adjudication withheld rate fell substantially below the statewide average of 26.1%, and no cases entered diversion programs—compared to the statewide rate of 10.0%—indicating Holmes County pursued convictions aggressively without alternative pathways.
Sentenced defendants faced an average of 2,683 days of confinement (median 731 days), reflecting the charge's severity. Prison affected 41.9% of convicted defendants while jail confined another 28.4%. Notably, 36.5% retained private counsel, the highest rate among comparable items, suggesting either greater financial resources or case complexity. The public defender served 6.8%, and average fines reached $682.50, underscoring the serious treatment of abuse/neglect offenses.
Citing these figures? Attribution line and monthly data pack.
Figures cover 74 cases (2023-2025) — fewer than 30 cases resolved in 2025, so multi-year figures are shown.
Before Court: State Attorney Decisions
Not every Child Abuse / Neglect charge in Holmes County makes it in front of a judge. Of 96 prosecutor decisions on Child Abuse / Neglect charges (2023-2025), the State Attorney declined to file, dropped, or dismissed 13.5% — below the 42.9% 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 (2023-2025)
Exhibit · Case outcomes (2023-2025)
Largest outcomeGuilty — 86.5% of 74 cases.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 74 cases · 2023-2025 — FloridaCourtFile.com
Sentencing Breakdown (2023-2025)
Exhibit · Sentencing when convicted (2023-2025)
Confinement-type detail below is computed across all available years (2023-2025).
| Confinement Type | Count | Avg Sentence (confined) |
|---|---|---|
| State Prison Facility | 31 | 11.9 years |
| County Jail | 21 | 6.8 months |
Convicted defendants' full sentencing detail — sentence ranges, fines, prison vs. probation odds: Child Abuse / Neglect sentencing in Holmes County.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the guilty rate for Child Abuse / Neglect in Holmes County?
The guilty rate is 86.5% based on 74 cases (2023-2025).
How often is adjudication withheld for Child Abuse / Neglect in Holmes County?
Adjudication is withheld in 13.5% of cases (2023-2025). 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 Child Abuse / Neglect in Holmes County?
Among convictions that included confinement, the average sentence is 7.4 years, with an average fine of $682 (2023-2025).
What percentage use a public defender vs private attorney?
6.8% of defendants use a public defender, while 36.5% retain private counsel (2023-2025).
Counsel Analysis (2023-2025)
Demographics (2023-2025)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 59 | 86.4% | 0.0% |
| Black | 12 | 100.0% | 0.0% |
Age Distribution (2023-2025)
Year-Over-Year Trends
Exhibit · Disposition trends
| Year | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate | Avg Sentence (confined) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 16 | 81.2% | 0.0% | 1 year, 7 months |
| 2024 | 31 | 87.1% | 0.0% | 2.2 years |
| 2025 | 27 | 88.9% | 0.0% | 16.0 years |
Charge Level Breakdown
| Level | Degree | Cases |
|---|---|---|
| Felony | Third Degree | 32 |
| Misdemeanor | First Degree | 21 |
| Felony | First Degree | 11 |
| Misdemeanor | Second Degree | 9 |
| Felony | Second Degree | 1 |
Related Charges in Holmes County
Rates shown are 2025 unless marked otherwise.
| Charge | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drug Possession | 359 | 88.9% | 0.3% |
| Traffic Offense | 129 | 71.3% | 0.8% |
| Other | 89 | 91.0% | 1.1% |
| Battery | 100 | 83.0% | 0.0% |
| Resisting Officer | 62 | 90.3% | 0.0% |
| Disorderly Conduct | 46 | 60.9% | 0.0% |
| Larceny / Theft | 35 | 85.7% | 0.0% |
| Drug Sale | 78 (2023-2025) | 98.7% | 0.0% |
Cite this page
FloridaCourtFile.com (2026). Child Abuse / Neglect in Holmes County, Florida (2023-2025). Based on 74 public court records; last updated September 2026. https://www.floridacourtfile.com/charges/child-abuse-neglect/holmes
About this data: Statistics are derived from FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency records for Holmes 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 · 74 cases (2023-2025) · Data last updated September 2026 — FloridaCourtFile.com