Drug Sale in Monroe County, Florida
47 cases (2025) · Monroe County courts
Updated September 2026 · 2025 data
In 2025, Monroe County prosecuted drug sale charges aggressively, with an 85.1% guilty rate and zero dismissals—above the 1.8% statewide dismissal rate. The 8.5% adjudication withheld outcome slightly exceeded the 8.2% statewide rate. However, Monroe employed diversion at 2.1%, double the statewide 0.9% rate, indicating selective use of alternative programs. A 2.1% acquittal rate, unusual for this charge, suggests occasional courtroom loss for prosecutors despite the overall conviction dominance.
Drug sale convictions in Monroe carried substantial sentences. Confined defendants averaged 692 days, with a median of 517 days, and probation averaged 1,718 days—approximately 4.7 years. Notably, 31.9% of defendants were sentenced to prison, the highest rate among drug charges shown. Private attorneys represented 55.3% of cases, the only county where private counsel exceeded public defenders.
Citing these figures? Attribution line and monthly data pack.
Before Court: State Attorney Decisions
Not every Drug Sale charge in Monroe County makes it in front of a judge. Of 149 prosecutor decisions on Drug Sale charges (2023-2025), the State Attorney declined to file, dropped, or dismissed 12.1% — below 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 — 85.1% of 47 cases.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 47 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 | 81 | 4.3 years |
| County Jail | 42 | 7.7 months |
Convicted defendants' full sentencing detail — sentence ranges, fines, prison vs. probation odds: Drug Sale sentencing in Monroe County.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the guilty rate for Drug Sale in Monroe County?
The guilty rate is 85.1% based on 47 cases (2025).
How often is adjudication withheld for Drug Sale in Monroe County?
Adjudication is withheld in 8.5% 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 Monroe County?
Among convictions that included confinement, the average sentence is 1 year, 11 months (2025).
What percentage use a public defender vs private attorney?
42.6% of defendants use a public defender, while 55.3% 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 | 29 | 89.7% | 0.0% |
| Black | 14 | 71.4% | 0.0% |
Age Distribution (2025)
Year-Over-Year Trends
Exhibit · Disposition trends
| Year | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate | Avg Sentence (confined) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 75 | 90.7% | 0.0% | 3.2 years |
| 2024 | 54 | 85.2% | 0.0% | 3.6 years |
| 2025 | 47 | 85.1% | 0.0% | 1 year, 11 months |
Charge Level Breakdown
| Level | Degree | Cases |
|---|---|---|
| Felony | Second Degree | 144 |
| Felony | First Degree | 17 |
| Felony | Third Degree | 9 |
| Misdemeanor | First Degree | 6 |
Related Charges in Monroe County
Rates shown are 2025 unless marked otherwise.
| Charge | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traffic Offense | 983 | 37.5% | 0.3% |
| Other | 741 | 54.7% | 0.5% |
| Drug Possession | 548 | 54.9% | 1.1% |
| Trespassing | 312 | 89.1% | 0.3% |
| Resisting Officer | 271 | 66.4% | 0.7% |
| DUI | 291 | 89.0% | 1.7% |
| Larceny / Theft | 240 | 80.0% | 1.2% |
| Battery | 218 | 56.0% | 0.5% |
Cite this page
FloridaCourtFile.com (2026). Drug Sale in Monroe County, Florida (2025). Based on 47 public court records; last updated September 2026. https://www.floridacourtfile.com/charges/drug-sale/monroe
About this data: Statistics are derived from FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency records for Monroe 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 · 47 cases (2025) · Data last updated September 2026 — FloridaCourtFile.com