Contempt of Court in Pinellas County, Florida
225 cases (2025) · Pinellas County courts
Updated September 2026 · 2025 data
In 2025, Contempt of Court cases in Pinellas County produced comparable outcomes to statewide norms: a guilty rate of 77.8% was high, but dismissals at 6.2% slightly exceeded the statewide average of 5.7%, suggesting similar defense performance across circuits. Withheld adjudications appeared in 14.7% of cases, far above the statewide average of 11.0%, offering more defendants a way to avoid formal conviction. Diversion was virtually absent at 0.4%.
Confinement touched 65.8% of defendants, with 62.7% serving jail time and median sentences of 180 days. Average sentences when confined reached 241 days. Notably, both public defender (1.8%) and private counsel (2.2%) representation were strikingly low, potentially reflecting pro se representation or straightforward guilt admissions.
Citing these figures? Attribution line and monthly data pack.
Before Court: State Attorney Decisions
Not every Contempt of Court charge in Pinellas County makes it in front of a judge. Of 993 prosecutor decisions on Contempt of Court charges (2023-2025), the State Attorney declined to file, dropped, or dismissed 27.1% — below the 38.4% 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 — 77.8% of 225 cases.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 225 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) |
|---|---|---|
| County Jail | 481 | 6.0 months |
| State Prison Facility | 9 | 3.8 years |
Convicted defendants' full sentencing detail — sentence ranges, fines, prison vs. probation odds: Contempt of Court sentencing in Pinellas County.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the guilty rate for Contempt of Court in Pinellas County?
The guilty rate is 77.8% based on 225 cases (2025).
How often is adjudication withheld for Contempt of Court in Pinellas County?
Adjudication is withheld in 14.7% 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 Contempt of Court in Pinellas County?
Among convictions that included confinement, the average sentence is 8.0 months, with an average fine of $179 (2025).
What percentage use a public defender vs private attorney?
1.8% of defendants use a public defender, while 2.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 138 | 75.4% | 6.5% |
| Black | 63 | 79.4% | 7.9% |
Age Distribution (2025)
Year-Over-Year Trends
Exhibit · Disposition trends
| Year | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate | Avg Sentence (confined) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 274 | 76.3% | 4.7% | 5.7 months |
| 2024 | 224 | 79.0% | 5.4% | 6.7 months |
| 2025 | 225 | 77.8% | 6.2% | 8.0 months |
Quarterly detail
Quarterly figures recompute from monthly disposition counts; quarters with fewer than 30 cases are suppressed.
Charge Level Breakdown
| Level | Degree | Cases |
|---|---|---|
| Misdemeanor | First Degree | 699 |
| Felony | Third Degree | 23 |
| Misdemeanor | Second Degree | 1 |
Related Charges in Pinellas County
Rates shown are 2025 unless marked otherwise.
| Charge | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drug Possession | 6,836 | 76.0% | 1.5% |
| Other | 6,400 | 14.4% | 0.4% |
| Traffic Offense | 5,464 | 78.4% | 0.6% |
| DUI | 2,353 | 97.8% | 0.7% |
| Trespassing | 2,539 | 86.2% | 4.8% |
| Larceny / Theft | 2,443 | 75.3% | 2.0% |
| Battery | 2,015 | 55.2% | 3.4% |
| Resisting Officer | 1,570 | 78.5% | 1.5% |
Cite this page
FloridaCourtFile.com (2026). Contempt of Court in Pinellas County, Florida (2025). Based on 225 public court records; last updated September 2026. https://www.floridacourtfile.com/charges/contempt-of-court/pinellas
About this data: Statistics are derived from FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency records for Pinellas 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 · 225 cases (2025) · Data last updated September 2026 — FloridaCourtFile.com