Hit and Run in Lake County, Florida
157 cases (2025) · Lake County courts
Updated September 2026 · 2025 data
In 2025, hit-and-run defendants in Lake County had a 60.5% guilty conviction rate, with 37.6% receiving adjudication withheld—a notably high rate that keeps a formal conviction off the defendant's record. The dismissal rate of 0.6% falls well below the statewide average of 1.6%, indicating fewer cases are resolved in the defendant's favor at pretrial. However, the withheld rate exceeds the statewide average of 32.2%, suggesting the State Attorney's office shows some flexibility in case resolution.
Confinement was typically brief: defendants averaged 125.9 days when imprisoned, with a median of just 10 days. Probation averaged 240.1 days, and fines averaged $206.64. Few defendants received prison time (0.6%), with 7.6% sentenced to jail. Representation was nearly balanced between private counsel (34.4%) and public defenders (40.8%).
Citing these figures? Attribution line and monthly data pack.
Before Court: State Attorney Decisions
Not every Hit and Run charge in Lake County makes it in front of a judge. Of 316 prosecutor decisions on Hit and Run charges (2023-2025), the State Attorney declined to file, dropped, or dismissed 13.0% — in line with the 13.9% 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 outcomeGuilty — 60.5% of 157 cases.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 157 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 | 29 | 26 days |
| State Prison Facility | 4 | 3.5 years |
Convicted defendants' full sentencing detail — sentence ranges, fines, prison vs. probation odds: Hit and Run sentencing in Lake County.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the guilty rate for Hit and Run in Lake County?
The guilty rate is 60.5% based on 157 cases (2025).
How often is adjudication withheld for Hit and Run in Lake County?
Adjudication is withheld in 37.6% 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 Hit and Run in Lake County?
Among convictions that included confinement, the average sentence is 4.2 months, with an average fine of $207 (2025).
What percentage use a public defender vs private attorney?
40.8% of defendants use a public defender, while 34.4% 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 | 124 | 64.5% | 0.8% |
| Black | 24 | 45.8% | 0.0% |
Age Distribution (2025)
Year-Over-Year Trends
Exhibit · Disposition trends
| Year | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate | Avg Sentence (confined) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 113 | 69.9% | 1.8% | 1 year, 2 months |
| 2024 | 164 | 54.9% | 1.8% | 7.2 months |
| 2025 | 157 | 60.5% | 0.6% | 4.2 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 | Second Degree | 384 |
| Misdemeanor | NULL | 22 |
| Felony | Third Degree | 18 |
| Felony | First Degree | 3 |
| Felony | NULL | 3 |
| Felony | Second Degree | 3 |
| Misdemeanor | First Degree | 1 |
Related Charges in Lake County
Rates shown are 2025 unless marked otherwise.
| Charge | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traffic Offense | 2,229 | 74.1% | 0.6% |
| Drug Possession | 1,386 | 79.9% | 0.4% |
| Other | 1,818 | 14.2% | 1.0% |
| Larceny / Theft | 1,002 | 66.3% | 1.0% |
| Battery | 647 | 58.0% | 1.4% |
| Resisting Officer | 565 | 78.9% | 1.1% |
| DUI | 417 | 99.0% | 1.0% |
| Trespassing | 426 | 88.3% | 2.1% |
Cite this page
FloridaCourtFile.com (2026). Hit and Run in Lake County, Florida (2025). Based on 157 public court records; last updated September 2026. https://www.floridacourtfile.com/charges/hit-and-run/lake
About this data: Statistics are derived from FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency records for Lake 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 · 157 cases (2025) · Data last updated September 2026 — FloridaCourtFile.com