There is a wide variety in conviction rates for DUI throughout the state of Florida, from 100% in some small counties to only 30% in other areas. Some counties are very aggressive in the prosecution of DUIs and some are more willing to reduce or dismiss charges. The following is a chart taken from FDLE data. It tells the number of arrests in each county for 2018 and the percentage of people convicted in that same year.*
| COUNTY | CONVICTION PERCENTAGE | # ARRESTS |
| Alachua | 77% | 428 |
| Baker | 84% | 65 |
| Bay | 95% | 599 |
| Bradford | 87% | 50 |
| Brevard | 66% | 2,062 |
| Broward | 49% | 4,043 |
| Calhoun | 80% | 24 |
| Charlotte | 90% | 512 |
| Citrus | 94% | 168 |
| Clay | 81% | 249 |
| Collier | 74% | 1,107 |
| Columbia | 90% | 193 |
| Desoto | 94% | 44 |
| Dixie | 88% | 21 |
| Duval | 67% | 3,047 |
| Escambia | 92% | 760 |
| Flagler | 63% | 202 |
| Franklin | 79% | 43 |
| Gadsden | 70% | 88 |
| Gilchrist | 83% | 15 |
| Glades | 61% | 33 |
| Gulf | 100% | 12 |
| Hamilton | 88% | 18 |
| Hardee | 82% | 54 |
| Hendry | 80% | 108 |
| Hernando | 82% | 301 |
| Highlands | 89% | 196 |
| Hillsborough | 67% | 4,131 |
| Holmes | 75% | 19 |
| Indian River | 84% | 294 |
| Jackson | 94% | 72 |
| Jefferson | 72% | 25 |
| Lafayette | 92% | 14 |
| Lake | 90% | 533 |
| Lee | 63% | 2,195 |
| Leon | 67% | 636 |
| Levy | 82% | 88 |
| Liberty | 67% | 7 |
| Madison | 72% | 16 |
| Manatee | 87% | 816 |
| Marion | 81% | 581 |
| Martin | 80% | 626 |
| Miami-Dade | 30% | 2,758 |
| Monroe | 64% | 527 |
| Nassau | 71% | 383 |
| Okaloosa | 96% | 454 |
| Okeechobee | 82% | 84 |
| Orange | 53% | 1,822 |
| Osceola | 78% | 507 |
| Palm Beach | 56% | 2,454 |
| Pasco | 83% | 1,017 |
| Pinellas | 93% | 3,232 |
| Polk | 94% | 876 |
| Putnam | 54% | 59 |
| Santa Rosa | 86% | 586 |
| Sarasota | 94% | 942 |
| Seminole | 67% | 615 |
| St. Johns | 61% | 556 |
| St. Lucie | 86% | 629 |
| Sumter | 91% | 190 |
| Suwannee | 94% | 93 |
| Taylor | 91% | 63 |
| Union | 65% | 22 |
| Volusia | 54% | 1,134 |
| Wakulla | 87% | 50 |
| Walton | 92% | 145 |
| Washington | 100% | 22 |
What the FDLE data does not show is how many DUI cases were reduced to Reckless Driving.
*While these number are pretty close, they are not exact. The numbers reflect the number of arrests and number of convictions that occurred in 2018. So, some of the convictions are for cases that occurred in 2017. And some of the cases in 2018 were not resolved in the same year. But as arrest numbers have remained fairly steady, this should not skew the results.
As you would expect, recent analysis in select Florida Counties shows that hiring a lawyer greatly enhances your chances of having your case dismissed or reduced to Reckless Driving.
We are a data driven law firm. We know what facts make these numbers go up and down. We know how to increase your chances for a better resolution. Give us a call to discuss your particular case.