DUI in Union County, Florida

In Union County, DUI defendants face a stark reality: every single case ending in adjudication resulted in a guilty verdict across 21 cases. This 100 percent conviction rate stands in sharp contrast to statewide patterns, where dismissals occur in 1.4 percent of DUI cases and judges withhold adjudication in another 1.5 percent—outcomes that allow defendants to avoid formal conviction records. Union County also shows zero diversion program usage, compared to a 2.2 percent statewide rate, meaning defendants here have no opportunity to resolve cases through program completion rather than conviction. The prosecution's approach in this rural county yields conviction in every contested or resolved case, suggesting either exceptionally strong evidence in local cases or prosecutorial priorities that favor conviction over alternative resolutions.

Sentencing reflects the uniformity of guilt findings. The median sentence of 90 days in jail is paired with probation averaging 633 days and fines averaging $1,315. About a third of defendants served jail time and 14 percent received prison sentences. Most defendants were represented by public defenders at 57 percent, with only 14 percent able to afford private counsel, leaving the indigent defense system carrying nearly the entire caseload in this small county.