Stolen Property in Bay County, Florida
115 cases (2023-2025) · Bay County courts
Updated July 2026 · 2023-2025 data
Bay County shows 85.2% guilty convictions with dismissals at 7.0%—well above the statewide average of 2.2%. This suggests Bay prosecutors are more aggressive, pursuing cases that other counties might screen out, resulting in both more convictions and more dismissals when evidence is weak. Withheld adjudication is only 6.1% versus the statewide 12.9%, and diversion just 1.7% versus 3.5%, indicating this circuit reserves formal conviction for stolen property offenses and uses alternative disposition sparingly.
Sentences are substantial: 834 days average and 731 days median. Prison confinement affects 45.2% of defendants. Public defenders represent 21.7% and private attorneys 10.4%, with the remainder unaccounted for in the data. Fines average $648. The harsh sentencing and limited diversion indicate Bay County treats stolen property as serious criminal conduct warranting substantial incarceration for nearly half of convicted defendants.
Figures cover 115 cases (2023-2025) — fewer than 30 cases resolved in 2025, so multi-year figures are shown.
Before Court: State Attorney Decisions
Not every Stolen Property charge in Bay County makes it in front of a judge. Of 78 prosecutor decisions on Stolen Property charges (2023-2025), the State Attorney declined to file, dropped, or dismissed 5.1% — below the 37.4% 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 (2023-2025)
Exhibit · Case outcomes (2023-2025)
Largest outcomeGuilty — 85.2% of 115 cases.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 115 cases · 2023-2025 — FloridaCourtFile.com
Sentencing Breakdown (2023-2025)
Exhibit · Sentencing when convicted (2023-2025)
Confinement-type detail below is computed across all available years (2023-2025).
| Confinement Type | Count | Avg Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| State Prison Facility | 52 | 2.6 years |
| County Jail | 8 | 5.5 months |
Convicted defendants' full sentencing detail — sentence ranges, fines, prison vs. probation odds: Stolen Property sentencing in Bay County.
Counsel Analysis (2023-2025)
Demographics (2023-2025)
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 | 91 | 85.7% | 7.7% |
| Black | 21 | 85.7% | 4.8% |
Age Distribution (2023-2025)
Year-Over-Year Trends
Exhibit · Disposition trends
| Year | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate | Avg Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 37 | 91.9% | 2.7% | 2.6 years |
| 2024 | 50 | 80.0% | 10.0% | 2.2 years |
| 2025 | 28 | 85.7% | 7.1% | 1 year, 12 months |
Charge Level Breakdown
| Level | Degree | Cases |
|---|---|---|
| Felony | Second Degree | 108 |
| Misdemeanor | First Degree | 5 |
| Felony | First Degree | 1 |
| Felony | Third Degree | 1 |
Related Charges in Bay County
Rates shown are 2025 unless marked otherwise.
| Charge | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drug Possession | 2,900 | 65.9% | 1.2% |
| Traffic Offense | 2,095 | 55.2% | 0.9% |
| Other | 1,372 | 41.3% | 2.0% |
| Larceny / Theft | 1,109 | 66.4% | 1.1% |
| Battery | 1,044 | 64.5% | 1.9% |
| DUI | 622 | 98.1% | 0.5% |
| Resisting Officer | 624 | 66.7% | 1.9% |
| Fraud | 327 | 64.8% | 0.9% |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the guilty rate for Stolen Property in Bay County?
The guilty rate is 85.2% based on 115 cases (2023-2025).
How often is adjudication withheld for Stolen Property in Bay County?
Adjudication is withheld in 6.1% of cases (2023-2025). 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 Stolen Property in Bay County?
The average sentence is 2.3 years, with an average fine of $648 (2023-2025).
What percentage use a public defender vs private attorney?
21.7% of defendants use a public defender, while 10.4% retain private counsel (2023-2025).
Cite this page
FloridaCourtFile.com (2026). Stolen Property in Bay County, Florida (2023-2025). Based on 115 public court records; last updated July 2026. https://www.floridacourtfile.com/charges/stolen-property/bay
About this data: Statistics are derived from FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency records for Bay 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 · 115 cases (2023-2025) · Data last updated July 2026 — FloridaCourtFile.com