Drug Sale in Lee County, Florida
142 cases (2025) · Lee County courts
Updated September 2026 · 2025 data
In 2025, drug sale cases in Lee County showed a guilty rate of 92.1 percent with markedly severe sentencing consequences. Dismissals were rare at 0.7 percent, remaining below the statewide average of 1.8 percent. Withheld adjudication occurred in 4.3 percent of cases, well below the statewide average of 8.3 percent. No diversion was available or pursued, contrasting with the statewide average of 0.9 percent. The Second Judicial Circuit State Attorney maintained high conviction rates with minimal alternative resolutions.
Sentences in Lee County ranked among Florida's harshest for drug sales: defendants averaged 1882.5 days with a median of 1370 days. Prison confinement applied to 75 percent of defendants. Probation averaged 1476.6 days, extending supervision across years. Private counsel appeared in 6.4 percent of cases, suggesting most defendants relied on court-appointed representation.
Citing these figures? Attribution line and monthly data pack.
Before Court: State Attorney Decisions
Not every Drug Sale charge in Lee County makes it in front of a judge. Of 1,177 prosecutor decisions on Drug Sale charges (2023-2025), the State Attorney declined to file, dropped, or dismissed 56.7% — above the 35.8% 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 — 92.3% of 142 cases.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 142 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) |
|---|---|---|
| State Prison Facility | 264 | 5.4 years |
| County Jail | 88 | 7.4 months |
Convicted defendants' full sentencing detail — sentence ranges, fines, prison vs. probation odds: Drug Sale sentencing in Lee County.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the guilty rate for Drug Sale in Lee County?
The guilty rate is 92.3% based on 142 cases (2025).
How often is adjudication withheld for Drug Sale in Lee County?
Adjudication is withheld in 4.2% 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 Sale in Lee County?
Among convictions that included confinement, the average sentence is 5.2 years (2025).
What percentage use a public defender vs private attorney?
5.6% of defendants use a public defender, while 5.6% retain private counsel (2025).
Counsel Analysis (2023-2025)
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 | 89 | 89.9% | 1.1% |
| Black | 49 | 98.0% | 0.0% |
Age Distribution (2025)
Year-Over-Year Trends
Exhibit · Disposition trends
| Year | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate | Avg Sentence (confined) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 161 | 95.7% | 0.0% | 3.7 years |
| 2024 | 118 | 95.8% | 0.0% | 3.6 years |
| 2025 | 142 | 92.3% | 0.7% | 5.2 years |
Quarterly detail
Quarterly figures recompute from monthly disposition counts; quarters with fewer than 30 cases are suppressed.
Charge Level Breakdown
| Level | Degree | Cases |
|---|---|---|
| Felony | Second Degree | 378 |
| Felony | First Degree | 33 |
| Felony | Third Degree | 10 |
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% |
| Drug Possession | 2,127 | 78.6% | 0.1% |
| 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% |
Cite this page
FloridaCourtFile.com (2026). Drug Sale in Lee County, Florida (2025). Based on 142 public court records; last updated September 2026. https://www.floridacourtfile.com/charges/drug-sale/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 · 142 cases (2025) · Data last updated September 2026 — FloridaCourtFile.com