Contempt of Court in Duval County, Florida

Contempt of court charges in Duval County result in conviction at notably high rates. Of 1,031 cases, 77.6 percent ended in guilty verdicts and 19.3 percent resulted in adjudication withheld—meaning 96.9 percent of defendants faced guilt findings. This conviction rate far exceeds statewide patterns: Duval's dismissal rate of 1.3 percent falls 4.6 percentage points below the state average of 5.9 percent, and the withheld rate nearly doubles the statewide average of 10.2 percent. Diversion, which allows defendants to avoid conviction through program completion, occurred in less than one percent of cases locally compared to 2.8 percent statewide. These outcomes suggest contempt charges are prosecuted aggressively in Duval County with little room for case dismissal or alternative resolution.

Jail time dominates sentencing: 79.6 percent of defendants were confined, with a median sentence of 53.5 days and average of 101.2 days. Probation averaged 305 days. Only 0.2 percent received prison sentences, and fines averaged $118. Among defendants, 65.1 percent relied on public defenders while 19.2 percent retained private counsel, reflecting the financial barriers many defendants face when contesting contempt charges.