Escape / Failure to Appear in Pinellas County, Florida
99 cases (2025) · Pinellas County courts
Updated July 2026 · 2025 data
In 2025, escape and failure to appear charges in Pinellas County were prosecuted aggressively, resulting in conviction in 94.9% of cases. Only 2.0% were dismissed—9.6 percentage points below the 11.6% statewide average—and 3.0% received withheld adjudication. This prosecution pattern stands in extreme contrast to Hendry County's 86% dismissal rate, revealing dramatic variation across Florida's judicial circuits in how these charges are handled.
Pinellas sentences were severe. Defendants averaged 768 days in confinement with a median of 526 days, and over half (54.5%) received prison sentences while 36.4% served jail time. Probation terms averaged 991 days. Recorded public defender representation was 4% and private counsel 2%.
Before Court: State Attorney Decisions
Not every Escape / Failure to Appear charge in Pinellas County makes it in front of a judge. Of 405 prosecutor decisions on Escape / Failure to Appear charges (2023-2025), the State Attorney declined to file, dropped, or dismissed 18.5% — below the 29.1% 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 — 94.9% of 99 cases.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 99 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 |
|---|---|---|
| State Prison Facility | 161 | 3.1 years |
| County Jail | 136 | 5.4 months |
Convicted defendants' full sentencing detail — sentence ranges, fines, prison vs. probation odds: Escape / Failure to Appear sentencing in Pinellas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 47 | 97.9% | 0.0% |
| White | 43 | 93.0% | 4.7% |
Age Distribution (2025)
Year-Over-Year Trends
Exhibit · Disposition trends
| Year | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate | Avg Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 117 | 83.8% | 2.6% | 1 year, 5 months |
| 2024 | 128 | 91.4% | 0.8% | 2.1 years |
| 2025 | 99 | 94.9% | 2.0% | 2.1 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 | Third Degree | 326 |
| Felony | Second Degree | 13 |
| Misdemeanor | First Degree | 5 |
Related Charges in Pinellas County
Rates shown are 2025 unless marked otherwise.
| Charge | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drug Possession | 6,868 | 75.7% | 1.5% |
| Other | 6,405 | 14.3% | 0.4% |
| Traffic Offense | 5,465 | 78.3% | 0.6% |
| DUI | 2,355 | 97.8% | 0.7% |
| Trespassing | 2,554 | 85.7% | 4.7% |
| Larceny / Theft | 2,453 | 75.0% | 2.0% |
| Battery | 2,043 | 54.4% | 3.3% |
| Resisting Officer | 1,579 | 78.0% | 1.5% |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the guilty rate for Escape / Failure to Appear in Pinellas County?
The guilty rate is 94.9% based on 99 cases (2025).
How often is adjudication withheld for Escape / Failure to Appear in Pinellas County?
Adjudication is withheld in 3.0% 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 Escape / Failure to Appear in Pinellas County?
The average sentence is 2.1 years, with an average fine of $132 (2025).
What percentage use a public defender vs private attorney?
4.0% of defendants use a public defender, while 2.0% retain private counsel (2025).
Cite this page
FloridaCourtFile.com (2026). Escape / Failure to Appear in Pinellas County, Florida (2025). Based on 99 public court records; last updated July 2026. https://www.floridacourtfile.com/charges/escape-failure-to-appear/pinellas
About this data: Statistics are derived from FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency records for Pinellas 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 · 99 cases (2025) · Data last updated July 2026 — FloridaCourtFile.com