Larceny / Theft in Hendry County, Florida

Hendry County prosecutes larceny cases more aggressively than the state average. A 66.7% guilty rate paired with only a 0.2% dismissal rate—compared to 1.8% statewide—indicates the State Attorney's office secures convictions in nearly all cases that reach trial. The withheld adjudication rate of 13% is below the statewide average of 16.1%, meaning fewer defendants here avoid a conviction record through that mechanism. However, Hendry County makes unusually heavy use of diversion programs, with 19.3% of cases diverted compared to 8.5% statewide. This suggests the local prosecution prioritizes channeling lower-risk defendants away from the criminal justice system entirely.

Sentencing outcomes reveal a split between community supervision and confinement. While the average sentence is 361 days, the median is just 174 days, indicating some cases involve substantially longer terms that pull up the average. Only 7.2% receive prison sentences, but 28.2% spend time in county jail, and probation terms average 589 days. Most defendants are represented by public defenders (41%), with only 10.4% hiring private counsel, reflecting the economic profile of the county's caseload.