Drug Possession in Sumter County, Florida
1,098 cases (2025) · Sumter County courts
Updated July 2026 · 2025 data
In 2025, Sumter County achieved the highest withheld adjudication rate in this sample at 30.4%—nearly double Florida's 16.9% statewide average. The dismissal rate of 0.3% fell sharply below the statewide 1.4%, and diversion at 6.4% slightly exceeded state average. The 62.6% conviction rate reflected moderate severity. This pattern suggests the State Attorney emphasized securing formal judgments while offering withheld adjudication as the primary alternative to conviction, rarely using dismissals.
Sentences averaged 561 days with a median of 180 days, indicating substantial confinement periods. Prison accounted for 11.4% of dispositions, jail at 24.1%, with most defendants distributed across probation-based sentences. Public defenders represented 28% of defendants, while only 3.3% retained private counsel.
Before Court: State Attorney Decisions
Not every Drug Possession charge in Sumter County makes it in front of a judge. Of 3,442 prosecutor decisions on Drug Possession charges (2023-2025), the State Attorney declined to file, dropped, or dismissed 18.7% — 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 (2025)
Exhibit · Case outcomes (2025)
Largest outcomeGuilty — 62.6% of 1,098 cases.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 1,098 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 | 990 | 5.3 months |
| State Prison Facility | 477 | 4.0 years |
Convicted defendants' full sentencing detail — sentence ranges, fines, prison vs. probation odds: Drug Possession sentencing in Sumter 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 | 746 | 66.4% | 0.1% |
| Black | 266 | 59.4% | 0.8% |
Age Distribution (2025)
Year-Over-Year Trends
Exhibit · Disposition trends
| Year | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate | Avg Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1,703 | 62.8% | 0.0% | 1 year, 10 months |
| 2024 | 1,272 | 65.2% | 0.0% | 1 year, 4 months |
| 2025 | 1,098 | 62.6% | 0.3% | 1 year, 7 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 | 2,631 |
| Felony | Third Degree | 1,230 |
| Felony | Second Degree | 200 |
| Felony | First Degree | 11 |
| Misdemeanor | Second Degree | 1 |
Related Charges in Sumter County
Rates shown are 2025 unless marked otherwise.
| Charge | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traffic Offense | 853 | 76.4% | 0.0% |
| Battery | 341 | 66.9% | 1.5% |
| Other | 263 | 84.4% | 0.4% |
| Larceny / Theft | 299 | 75.6% | 0.3% |
| Resisting Officer | 143 | 81.8% | 0.0% |
| DUI | 154 | 99.4% | 0.0% |
| Fraud | 122 | 74.6% | 0.0% |
| Drug Sale | 86 | 97.7% | 0.0% |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the guilty rate for Drug Possession in Sumter County?
The guilty rate is 62.6% based on 1,098 cases (2025).
How often is adjudication withheld for Drug Possession in Sumter County?
Adjudication is withheld in 30.4% 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 Sumter County?
The average sentence is 1 year, 7 months, with an average fine of $526 (2025).
What percentage use a public defender vs private attorney?
28.0% of defendants use a public defender, while 3.3% retain private counsel (2025).
Cite this page
FloridaCourtFile.com (2026). Drug Possession in Sumter County, Florida (2025). Based on 1,098 public court records; last updated July 2026. https://www.floridacourtfile.com/charges/drug-possession/sumter
About this data: Statistics are derived from FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency records for Sumter 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 · 1,098 cases (2025) · Data last updated July 2026 — FloridaCourtFile.com