Weapons Offense in St. Lucie County, Florida
133 cases (2025) · St. Lucie County courts
Updated July 2026 · 2025 data
In 2025, St. Lucie County prosecuted 133 weapons offenses and achieved the highest guilty rate at 91.0%, with a withheld adjudication rate of just 5.3%, the lowest statewide. Dismissals appeared in 2.3% of cases, marginally above the statewide 1.5%, and acquittals in 1.5%. Notably, St. Lucie used zero diversion cases, the only county in this set to forgo pre-trial diversion entirely, indicating an aggressive prosecution approach with minimal alternative resolution pathways.
Sentencing reflected this prosecutorial intensity, with an average of 1,993 days and a median of three years. St. Lucie recorded the highest incarceration rate, with 71.4% of defendants receiving prison sentences. The average fine was $5,250, among the highest observed, and 39.1% were represented by public defenders.
Before Court: State Attorney Decisions
Not every Weapons Offense charge in St. Lucie County makes it in front of a judge. Of 555 prosecutor decisions on Weapons Offense charges (2023-2025), the State Attorney declined to file, dropped, or dismissed 19.6% — below the 34.6% 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 — 91.0% of 133 cases.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 133 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 |
|---|---|---|
| State Prison Facility | 273 | 5.8 years |
| County Jail | 89 | 6.3 months |
Convicted defendants' full sentencing detail — sentence ranges, fines, prison vs. probation odds: Weapons Offense sentencing in St. Lucie County.
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 | 89 | 91.0% | 3.4% |
| White | 36 | 88.9% | 0.0% |
Age Distribution (2025)
Year-Over-Year Trends
Exhibit · Disposition trends
| Year | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate | Avg Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 152 | 88.2% | 1.3% | 4.1 years |
| 2024 | 144 | 88.9% | 0.7% | 4.0 years |
| 2025 | 133 | 91.0% | 2.3% | 5.5 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 | 292 |
| Felony | Third Degree | 88 |
| Misdemeanor | First Degree | 42 |
| Misdemeanor | Second Degree | 6 |
| Felony | First Degree | 1 |
Related Charges in St. Lucie County
Rates shown are 2025 unless marked otherwise.
| Charge | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drug Possession | 1,426 | 69.4% | 10.0% |
| Traffic Offense | 761 | 80.3% | 0.4% |
| Battery | 589 | 53.7% | 11.7% |
| Larceny / Theft | 619 | 76.1% | 3.2% |
| DUI | 584 | 99.3% | 0.0% |
| Other | 574 | 81.7% | 4.4% |
| Resisting Officer | 383 | 76.2% | 7.3% |
| Fraud | 330 | 70.0% | 4.8% |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the guilty rate for Weapons Offense in St. Lucie County?
The guilty rate is 91.0% based on 133 cases (2025).
How often is adjudication withheld for Weapons Offense in St. Lucie County?
Adjudication is withheld in 5.3% 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 Weapons Offense in St. Lucie County?
The average sentence is 5.5 years, with an average fine of $5,250 (2025).
What percentage use a public defender vs private attorney?
39.1% of defendants use a public defender, while 36.8% retain private counsel (2025).
Cite this page
FloridaCourtFile.com (2026). Weapons Offense in St. Lucie County, Florida (2025). Based on 133 public court records; last updated July 2026. https://www.floridacourtfile.com/charges/weapons-offense/st-lucie
About this data: Statistics are derived from FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency records for St. Lucie 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 · 133 cases (2025) · Data last updated July 2026 — FloridaCourtFile.com