Drug Possession in Gadsden County, Florida
106 cases (2023-2025) · Gadsden County courts
Updated July 2026 · 2023-2025 data
Gadsden County's drug possession cases are resolved through either withheld adjudication or dismissal rather than diversion. The guilty rate of 64.2 percent is moderate, with 27.4 percent of cases resulting in withheld adjudication, well above the statewide average of 17.2 percent. No defendants are diverted to treatment programs compared to 4.9 percent statewide. Dismissals occur in 3.8 percent of cases, above the statewide rate of 1.5 percent. Most defendants in Gadsden therefore avoid both conviction records and incarceration through withheld adjudication or case dismissal.
Gadsden County's defendant population relies overwhelmingly on public defense, with 72.6 percent of cases handled by public defenders and only 3.8 percent represented by private attorneys. This demographic composition likely reflects that drug possession arrests in the county tend to involve lower-income defendants.
Figures cover 106 cases (2023-2025) — fewer than 30 cases resolved in 2025, so multi-year figures are shown.
Before Court: State Attorney Decisions
Not every Drug Possession charge in Gadsden County makes it in front of a judge. Of 402 prosecutor decisions on Drug Possession charges (2023-2025), the State Attorney declined to file, dropped, or dismissed 13.9% — below the 36.7% 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 — 64.2% of 106 cases.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 106 cases · 2023-2025 — FloridaCourtFile.com
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 80 | 68.8% | 3.8% |
| White | 25 | 48.0% | 4.0% |
Age Distribution (2023-2025)
Year-Over-Year Trends
Exhibit · Disposition trends
| Year | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate | Avg Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 56 | 64.3% | 5.4% | 0 days |
| 2024 | 39 | 69.2% | 0.0% | 0 days |
| 2025 | 11 | 45.5% | 9.1% | 0 days |
Charge Level Breakdown
| Level | Degree | Cases |
|---|---|---|
| Felony | Third Degree | 56 |
| Misdemeanor | First Degree | 45 |
| Felony | Second Degree | 5 |
Related Charges in Gadsden County
Rates shown are 2025 unless marked otherwise.
| Charge | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traffic Offense | 140 (2023-2025) | 47.1% | 11.4% |
| Trespassing | 90 (2023-2025) | 36.7% | 53.3% |
| Battery | 80 (2023-2025) | 58.8% | 21.2% |
| Larceny / Theft | 63 (2023-2025) | 46.0% | 30.2% |
| Resisting Officer | 59 (2023-2025) | 54.2% | 20.3% |
| Other | 41 (2023-2025) | 53.7% | 7.3% |
| Fraud | 24 (2023-2025) | 83.3% | 4.2% |
| Disorderly Conduct | 19 (2023-2025) | 57.9% | 21.1% |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the guilty rate for Drug Possession in Gadsden County?
The guilty rate is 64.2% based on 106 cases (2023-2025).
How often is adjudication withheld for Drug Possession in Gadsden County?
Adjudication is withheld in 27.4% 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 Drug Possession in Gadsden County?
The average sentence is 0 days (2023-2025).
What percentage use a public defender vs private attorney?
72.6% of defendants use a public defender, while 3.8% retain private counsel (2023-2025).
Cite this page
FloridaCourtFile.com (2026). Drug Possession in Gadsden County, Florida (2023-2025). Based on 106 public court records; last updated July 2026. https://www.floridacourtfile.com/charges/drug-possession/gadsden
About this data: Statistics are derived from FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency records for Gadsden 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 · 106 cases (2023-2025) · Data last updated July 2026 — FloridaCourtFile.com