DUI in Lee County, Florida
1,320 cases (2025) · Lee County courts
Updated September 2026 · 2025 data
In 2025, Lee County secured convictions in 98.9% of 1,301 DUI cases with virtually no diversions, dismissals, or withheld adjudications. This represents one of Florida's most prosecutorial DUI outcomes, with felony conviction as the near-certain endpoint. Lee's 0% diversion rate and 0.2% dismissal rate eliminate alternative pathways available in most counties.
Paradoxically, Lee sentences DUI convictions leniently. Defendants averaged 97.9 days with a median of 20 days, the shortest among these counties. However, 35.5% received jail time—the highest rate statewide. Average probation of 317 days remains below statewide average. Lee's combination of near-certain conviction with short incarceration suggests the county emphasizes jail throughput over imprisonment.
Citing these figures? Attribution line and monthly data pack.
Where You Are in the Process
Exhibit · DUI case process
Request a formal review hearing with the DMV (DHSMV) to challenge your license suspension. Missing this deadline means an automatic suspension.
Arraignment. Charges are formally presented. Pre-trial diversion may be offered.
Pre-trial period. Your attorney negotiates with the State Attorney's office. A portion of DUI cases in Lee County receive adjudication withheld or diversion.
Typical resolution time for DUI cases in Lee County.
Source: Florida Statutes & DHSMV administrative rules — general process overview, not legal advice.
Before Court: State Attorney Decisions
Not every DUI charge in Lee County makes it in front of a judge. Of 7,900 prosecutor decisions on DUI charges (2023-2025), the State Attorney declined to file, dropped, or dismissed 45.7% — above the 15.3% 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 — 98.9% of 1,320 cases.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 1,320 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 | 1,148 | 2.0 months |
| State Prison Facility | 33 | 3.2 years |
Convicted defendants' full sentencing detail — sentence ranges, fines, prison vs. probation odds: DUI sentencing in Lee County.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the guilty rate for DUI in Lee County?
The guilty rate is 98.9% based on 1,320 cases (2025).
How often is adjudication withheld for DUI in Lee County?
Adjudication is withheld in 0.3% 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 DUI in Lee County?
Among convictions that included confinement, the average sentence is 3.2 months (2025).
What percentage use a public defender vs private attorney?
7.3% of defendants use a public defender, while 6.2% 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 | 1,100 | 99.1% | 0.2% |
| Black | 116 | 97.4% | 0.0% |
Age Distribution (2025)
Year-Over-Year Trends
Exhibit · Disposition trends
| Year | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate | Avg Sentence (confined) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1,127 | 96.8% | 1.2% | 2.7 months |
| 2024 | 1,282 | 98.5% | 0.8% | 3.1 months |
| 2025 | 1,320 | 98.9% | 0.2% | 3.2 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 | Not Applicable | 2,137 |
| Misdemeanor | First Degree | 1,361 |
| Misdemeanor | Second Degree | 137 |
| Felony | Third Degree | 94 |
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% |
| 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). DUI in Lee County, Florida (2025). Based on 1,320 public court records; last updated September 2026. https://www.floridacourtfile.com/charges/dui/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 · 1,320 cases (2025) · Data last updated September 2026 — FloridaCourtFile.com