Forgery in Palm Beach County, Florida
91 cases (2025) · Palm Beach County courts
Updated September 2026 · 2025 data
In 2025, forgery cases in Palm Beach County took an unusually rehabilitative path: 56.5% of defendants were diverted through pretrial programs, more than six times Florida's statewide diversion rate of 9.0%. This reflects Palm Beach's apparent emphasis on alternative resolution over formal prosecution. No cases were dismissed, though withheld adjudication occurred in 14.1% of convictions, resulting in 43.4% of defendants avoiding formal conviction records through diversion or withheld status.
For the 29.3% convicted, sentences averaged 581 days though the median of 76.5 days shows substantial variation. Prison was imposed in 14.1% of cases and jail in 22.8%. Probation averaged about 28 months. Over half of defendants (55.4%) retained private counsel, the second-highest private-attorney rate observed, while public defenders represented 26.1%.
Citing these figures? Attribution line and monthly data pack.
Before Court: State Attorney Decisions
Not every Forgery charge in Palm Beach County makes it in front of a judge. Of 81 prosecutor decisions on Forgery charges (2023-2025), the State Attorney declined to file, dropped, or dismissed 18.5% — below the 24.9% 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 outcomeDiversion — 56.0% of 91 cases.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 91 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 | 65 | 1.8 months |
| State Prison Facility | 21 | 3.0 years |
Convicted defendants' full sentencing detail — sentence ranges, fines, prison vs. probation odds: Forgery sentencing in Palm Beach County.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the guilty rate for Forgery in Palm Beach County?
The guilty rate is 29.7% based on 91 cases (2025).
How often is adjudication withheld for Forgery in Palm Beach County?
Adjudication is withheld in 14.3% 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 Palm Beach County?
Among convictions that included confinement, the average sentence is 1 year, 7 months (2025).
What percentage use a public defender vs private attorney?
27.5% of defendants use a public defender, while 54.9% 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 | 63 | 25.4% | 0.0% |
| Black | 26 | 42.3% | 0.0% |
Age Distribution (2025)
Year-Over-Year Trends
Exhibit · Disposition trends
| Year | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate | Avg Sentence (confined) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 52 | 44.2% | 1.9% | 4.0 months |
| 2024 | 51 | 31.4% | 2.0% | 5.0 months |
| 2025 | 91 | 29.7% | 0.0% | 1 year, 7 months |
Charge Level Breakdown
| Level | Degree | Cases |
|---|---|---|
| Felony | Third Degree | 128 |
| Misdemeanor | Second Degree | 59 |
| Misdemeanor | First Degree | 5 |
| Felony | Second Degree | 2 |
Related Charges in Palm Beach County
Rates shown are 2025 unless marked otherwise.
| Charge | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traffic Offense | 18,615 | 27.2% | 0.4% |
| Other | 5,545 | 11.7% | 0.4% |
| Drug Possession | 3,575 | 68.3% | 0.3% |
| Larceny / Theft | 3,172 | 64.3% | 0.5% |
| Battery | 2,688 | 45.3% | 0.5% |
| Trespassing | 2,272 | 69.6% | 1.2% |
| Resisting Officer | 2,093 | 62.0% | 0.5% |
| DUI | 1,692 | 95.6% | 0.3% |
Cite this page
FloridaCourtFile.com (2026). Forgery in Palm Beach County, Florida (2025). Based on 91 public court records; last updated September 2026. https://www.floridacourtfile.com/charges/forgery/palm-beach
About this data: Statistics are derived from FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency records for Palm Beach 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 · 91 cases (2025) · Data last updated September 2026 — FloridaCourtFile.com