Drug Possession in Lee County, Florida
2,127 cases (2025) · Lee County courts
Updated September 2026 · 2025 data
In 2025, drug possession in Lee County produced high conviction outcomes. The guilty rate was 78.6%, and dismissals were rare at 0.1% versus 1.4% statewide. Adjudication-withheld reached 15.9%, diversion only 4.4%. This profile indicates aggressive prosecution with limited alternative resolutions.
Sentences were notably severe: median 180 days, average 520 days among the confined. Prison confinement reached 18.3%, among the highest observed, with 46.8% in jail. Public defender use was limited at 16.1%, suggesting many defendants lacked counsel. This jurisdiction imposed substantially harsher outcomes for drug possession than most peers.
Citing these figures? Attribution line and monthly data pack.
Before Court: State Attorney Decisions
Not every Drug Possession charge in Lee County makes it in front of a judge. Of 11,864 prosecutor decisions on Drug Possession charges (2023-2025), the State Attorney declined to file, dropped, or dismissed 44.9% — above the 36.8% 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 — 78.6% of 2,127 cases.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 2,127 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 | 2,576 | 4.8 months |
| State Prison Facility | 907 | 3.9 years |
Convicted defendants' full sentencing detail — sentence ranges, fines, prison vs. probation odds: Drug Possession sentencing in Lee County.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the guilty rate for Drug Possession in Lee County?
The guilty rate is 78.6% based on 2,127 cases (2025).
How often is adjudication withheld for Drug Possession in Lee County?
Adjudication is withheld in 15.9% 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 Drug Possession in Lee County?
Among convictions that included confinement, the average sentence is 1 year, 5 months (2025).
What percentage use a public defender vs private attorney?
16.1% of defendants use a public defender, while 8.1% 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 | 1,629 | 78.3% | 0.1% |
| Black | 453 | 81.7% | 0.2% |
Age Distribution (2025)
Year-Over-Year Trends
Exhibit · Disposition trends
| Year | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate | Avg Sentence (confined) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1,943 | 84.8% | 0.2% | 1 year, 4 months |
| 2024 | 2,146 | 82.1% | 0.1% | 1 year, 2 months |
| 2025 | 2,127 | 78.6% | 0.1% | 1 year, 5 months |
Quarterly detail
Quarterly figures recompute from monthly disposition counts; quarters with fewer than 30 cases are suppressed.
Charge Level Breakdown
| Level | Degree | Cases |
|---|---|---|
| Felony | Third Degree | 3,883 |
| Misdemeanor | First Degree | 1,971 |
| Felony | Second Degree | 351 |
| Felony | First Degree | 10 |
| Misdemeanor | Second Degree | 1 |
Related Charges in Lee County
Rates shown are 2025 unless marked otherwise.
| Charge | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traffic Offense | 4,155 | 67.9% | 0.2% |
| DUI | 1,320 | 98.9% | 0.2% |
| Larceny / Theft | 999 | 83.0% | 0.7% |
| Resisting Officer | 700 | 85.0% | 1.9% |
| Battery | 717 | 74.2% | 2.8% |
| Trespassing | 481 | 85.0% | 5.8% |
| Other | 490 | 73.7% | 1.4% |
| Burglary | 268 | 75.0% | 1.1% |
Cite this page
FloridaCourtFile.com (2026). Drug Possession in Lee County, Florida (2025). Based on 2,127 public court records; last updated September 2026. https://www.floridacourtfile.com/charges/drug-possession/lee
About this data: Statistics are derived from FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency records for Lee 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 · 2,127 cases (2025) · Data last updated September 2026 — FloridaCourtFile.com