Weapons Offense in Duval County, Florida
591 cases (2025) · Duval County courts
Updated September 2026 · 2025 data
Weapons offense defendants in Duval County during 2025 faced the most conviction-driven prosecution in the state. The guilty rate reached 88.7% while dismissals fell to 0.2% and acquittals to 0.3%. Diversion appeared in fewer than 1% of cases versus 2.8% statewide. The withheld adjudication rate of 10.2% was only marginally above statewide norms. Duval's State Attorney prosecutes weapons offenses with minimal tolerance for non-conviction outcomes.
Convicted defendants received substantial sentences averaging 1,572 days with a median of 1,096 days, plus 770 days of probation and average fines of $2,725—the highest statewide. Prison was imposed in 61.3% of cases while 24.5% received jail time. Notably, 44.3% of defendants retained private counsel, yet severe sentencing affected both public and private representation equally, indicating that case strength, not counsel quality, determined outcome.
Citing these figures? Attribution line and monthly data pack.
Before Court: State Attorney Decisions
Not every Weapons Offense charge in Duval County makes it in front of a judge. Of 1,521 prosecutor decisions on Weapons Offense charges (2023-2025), the State Attorney declined to file, dropped, or dismissed 21.5% — below the 34.5% 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 — 89.0% of 591 cases.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 591 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) |
|---|---|---|
| State Prison Facility | 1,351 | 5.9 years |
| County Jail | 507 | 5.9 months |
Convicted defendants' full sentencing detail — sentence ranges, fines, prison vs. probation odds: Weapons Offense sentencing in Duval County.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the guilty rate for Weapons Offense in Duval County?
The guilty rate is 89.0% based on 591 cases (2025).
How often is adjudication withheld for Weapons Offense in Duval County?
Adjudication is withheld in 9.8% 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 Weapons Offense in Duval County?
Among convictions that included confinement, the average sentence is 4.3 years, with an average fine of $2,725 (2025).
What percentage use a public defender vs private attorney?
51.3% of defendants use a public defender, while 43.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 462 | 88.3% | 0.2% |
| White | 119 | 91.6% | 0.0% |
Age Distribution (2025)
Year-Over-Year Trends
Exhibit · Disposition trends
| Year | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate | Avg Sentence (confined) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 971 | 73.1% | 0.1% | 4.3 years |
| 2024 | 817 | 86.8% | 0.1% | 4.6 years |
| 2025 | 591 | 89.0% | 0.2% | 4.3 years |
Quarterly detail
Quarterly figures recompute from monthly disposition counts; quarters with fewer than 30 cases are suppressed.
Charge Level Breakdown
| Level | Degree | Cases |
|---|---|---|
| Felony | Second Degree | 1,644 |
| Felony | Third Degree | 473 |
| Misdemeanor | First Degree | 180 |
| Misdemeanor | Second Degree | 81 |
| Felony | First Degree | 1 |
Related Charges in Duval County
Rates shown are 2025 unless marked otherwise.
| Charge | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traffic Offense | 7,131 | 36.9% | 3.3% |
| Drug Possession | 4,904 | 74.0% | 0.1% |
| Other | 4,405 | 22.2% | 0.6% |
| Larceny / Theft | 3,440 | 68.9% | 0.3% |
| Battery | 1,878 | 65.5% | 0.6% |
| Resisting Officer | 2,076 | 81.3% | 0.2% |
| Trespassing | 1,795 | 84.4% | 0.4% |
| DUI | 1,415 | 98.1% | 0.2% |
Cite this page
FloridaCourtFile.com (2026). Weapons Offense in Duval County, Florida (2025). Based on 591 public court records; last updated September 2026. https://www.floridacourtfile.com/charges/weapons-offense/duval
About this data: Statistics are derived from FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency records for Duval 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 · 591 cases (2025) · Data last updated September 2026 — FloridaCourtFile.com