Forgery in Hillsborough County, Florida
222 cases (2025) · Hillsborough County courts
Updated July 2026 · 2025 data
In 2025, forgery charges in Hillsborough County resulted in 85.6% conviction (guilty or withheld), with zero dismissals, notably below Florida's statewide dismissal rate of 2.0%. This suggests Hillsborough's prosecutor aggressively pursues forgery charges with minimal pretrial exits. However, 13.1% of defendants were diverted to pretrial programs, above the statewide average of 9.0%, offering an alternative path to some defendants.
Sentences were substantially more severe than statewide patterns, averaging 714 days with a median of 364 days, nearly a full year. Nearly one-quarter of defendants received prison sentences, the highest rate among forgery cases shown, and 26.1% received jail time. Probation averaged over 2.5 years, and fines averaged $9,000, far exceeding other counties. Notably, 90.5% of defendants retained private counsel, the highest private-attorney rate observed.
Before Court: State Attorney Decisions
Not every Forgery charge in Hillsborough County makes it in front of a judge. Of 559 prosecutor decisions on Forgery charges (2023-2025), the State Attorney declined to file, dropped, or dismissed 54.9% — above the 25.0% 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 — 65.3% of 222 cases.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 222 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 |
|---|---|---|
| County Jail | 198 | 5.1 months |
| State Prison Facility | 106 | 3.1 years |
Convicted defendants' full sentencing detail — sentence ranges, fines, prison vs. probation odds: Forgery sentencing in Hillsborough 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 122 | 71.3% | 0.0% |
| Black | 96 | 60.4% | 0.0% |
Age Distribution (2025)
Year-Over-Year Trends
Exhibit · Disposition trends
| Year | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate | Avg Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 208 | 62.0% | 0.0% | 1 year, 2 months |
| 2024 | 186 | 49.5% | 1.1% | 11.1 months |
| 2025 | 222 | 65.3% | 0.0% | 1 year, 12 months |
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 | 573 |
| Misdemeanor | Second Degree | 27 |
| Felony | Second Degree | 8 |
| Misdemeanor | First Degree | 5 |
| Felony | First Degree | 3 |
Related Charges in Hillsborough County
Rates shown are 2025 unless marked otherwise.
| Charge | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traffic Offense | 12,179 | 50.5% | 9.0% |
| Drug Possession | 6,254 | 71.9% | 1.9% |
| Larceny / Theft | 3,618 | 68.4% | 2.6% |
| Sex Offense | 4,360 | 85.4% | 1.9% |
| Trespassing | 2,769 | 81.1% | 8.5% |
| Battery | 3,226 | 49.7% | 3.3% |
| Resisting Officer | 2,885 | 69.3% | 3.6% |
| Other | 2,559 | 74.0% | 1.9% |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the guilty rate for Forgery in Hillsborough County?
The guilty rate is 65.3% based on 222 cases (2025).
How often is adjudication withheld for Forgery in Hillsborough County?
Adjudication is withheld in 20.3% 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 Forgery in Hillsborough County?
The average sentence is 1 year, 12 months, with an average fine of $9,000 (2025).
What percentage use a public defender vs private attorney?
9.5% of defendants use a public defender, while 90.5% retain private counsel (2025).
Cite this page
FloridaCourtFile.com (2026). Forgery in Hillsborough County, Florida (2025). Based on 222 public court records; last updated July 2026. https://www.floridacourtfile.com/charges/forgery/hillsborough
About this data: Statistics are derived from FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency records for Hillsborough 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 · 222 cases (2025) · Data last updated July 2026 — FloridaCourtFile.com