What is a withhold of adjudication?

On a withhold, the court accepts the plea, imposes conditions such as probation, but does not enter a formal adjudication of guilt.

Why it matters: a withhold generally preserves eligibility for sealing the record later, which a conviction eliminates. It also avoids certain consequences that attach specifically to convictions, including some civil rights effects.

What it doesn't do. The arrest and the case still exist and still appear on background checks unless and until sealed. Many employers and licensing bodies ask about arrests rather than convictions. Immigration law defines conviction differently than Florida does, and a withhold can still count.

Withholds aren't available for every offense — Florida law prohibits them for DUI and restricts them elsewhere — and there are limits on how many a person can receive.

The practical significance is at the plea stage. Whether a resolution includes a withhold rather than an adjudication is frequently more consequential than the sentence attached, and it's negotiable.