Disorderly Conduct in Bay County, Florida
346 cases (2025) · Bay County courts
Updated July 2026 · 2025 data
In 2025, Bay County handled disorderly conduct cases through heavy diversion program reliance. Diversion resolved 19.7% of cases—2.5 times the statewide average of 7.8%—allowing defendants to avoid conviction through program completion. The guilty rate was 61%, and withheld adjudications accounted for 16.8%, yielding a non-conviction rate above 36%. Dismissals and acquittals remained rare at 2% combined. Bay's State Attorney favored diversion as an alternative to formal adjudication.
Sentences for those convicted were minimal. Defendants averaged 24 days with a median of just 5 days. Jail time affected 43.9%, and fines averaged $307. Public defenders represented 41.3% of cases. The light sentences paired with aggressive diversion usage created the mildest consequence structure for disorderly conduct. Most defendants resolved cases without conviction or through minimal detention.
Before Court: State Attorney Decisions
Not every Disorderly Conduct charge in Bay County makes it in front of a judge. Of 442 prosecutor decisions on Disorderly Conduct charges (2023-2025), the State Attorney declined to file, dropped, or dismissed 12.2% — below the 34.1% 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 — 61.0% of 346 cases.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 346 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 |
|---|---|---|
| County Jail | 525 | 24 days |
| State Prison Facility | 1 | 1 year, 6 months |
Convicted defendants' full sentencing detail — sentence ranges, fines, prison vs. probation odds: Disorderly Conduct sentencing in Bay County.
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 | 250 | 62.4% | 2.4% |
| Black | 84 | 59.5% | 1.2% |
Age Distribution (2025)
Year-Over-Year Trends
Exhibit · Disposition trends
| Year | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate | Avg Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 387 | 63.8% | 0.5% | 25 days |
| 2024 | 419 | 62.8% | 0.5% | 26 days |
| 2025 | 346 | 61.0% | 2.0% | 24 days |
Quarterly detail
Quarterly figures recompute from monthly disposition counts; quarters with fewer than 30 cases are suppressed.
Charge Level Breakdown
| Level | Degree | Cases |
|---|---|---|
| Misdemeanor | Second Degree | 943 |
| Misdemeanor | First Degree | 207 |
| NULL | NULL | 2 |
Related Charges in Bay County
Rates shown are 2025 unless marked otherwise.
| Charge | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drug Possession | 2,900 | 65.9% | 1.2% |
| Traffic Offense | 2,095 | 55.2% | 0.9% |
| Other | 1,372 | 41.3% | 2.0% |
| Larceny / Theft | 1,109 | 66.4% | 1.1% |
| Battery | 1,044 | 64.5% | 1.9% |
| DUI | 622 | 98.1% | 0.5% |
| Resisting Officer | 624 | 66.7% | 1.9% |
| Fraud | 327 | 64.8% | 0.9% |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the guilty rate for Disorderly Conduct in Bay County?
The guilty rate is 61.0% based on 346 cases (2025).
How often is adjudication withheld for Disorderly Conduct in Bay County?
Adjudication is withheld in 16.8% 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 Disorderly Conduct in Bay County?
The average sentence is 24 days, with an average fine of $307 (2025).
What percentage use a public defender vs private attorney?
41.3% of defendants use a public defender, while 6.1% retain private counsel (2025).
Cite this page
FloridaCourtFile.com (2026). Disorderly Conduct in Bay County, Florida (2025). Based on 346 public court records; last updated July 2026. https://www.floridacourtfile.com/charges/disorderly-conduct/bay
About this data: Statistics are derived from FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency records for Bay 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 · 346 cases (2025) · Data last updated July 2026 — FloridaCourtFile.com