How many Drug Sale and Weapons Offense cases are filed in New York?

From 2019-2024, 50,303 Drug Sale cases and 59,568 Weapons Offense cases were recorded across New York counties. Visit NewYorkCourtFile.com for county-specific data.

Drug Sale vs Weapons Offense: 15% Dismissal Gap — NY

Q: What is the difference between Drug Sale and Weapons Offense in New York?

Based on 109,871 DCJS pretrial release records from 2019-2024, Drug Sale has a 32.2% average dismissal rate while Weapons Offense has a 47.3% average dismissal rate across New York counties.

Statistics from DCJS pretrial release data for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. These are different charges with different legal elements — consult a licensed New York attorney for guidance on your specific situation.

According to 109,871 DCJS pretrial release records from 2019–2024, Drug Sale cases across 61 New York counties have an average dismissal rate of 32.2% and conviction rate of 67.5%, while Weapons Offense cases across 56 counties have an average dismissal rate of 47.3% and conviction rate of 51.2%.

Drug Sale

50,303

Total Cases

61

Counties

Dismissal Rate 32.2%

Conviction Rate 67.5%

vs

Weapons Offense

59,568

Total Cases

56

Counties

Dismissal Rate 47.3%

Conviction Rate 51.2%

Top Counties Comparison

How the highest-volume counties handle each charge.

Drug Sale — Top Counties

County	Cases	Dismissal	Conviction
Kings	8,331	52.4%	47.6%
Bronx	8,026	49.2%	50.7%
New York	7,130	37.1%	62.5%
Queens	4,785	32.6%	67.2%
Suffolk	2,727	7.2%	92.1%

Weapons Offense — Top Counties

County	Cases	Dismissal	Conviction
Kings	14,090	66.6%	32.5%
Bronx	8,979	59.9%	38.7%
Queens	8,346	51.1%	47.8%
New York	7,005	53.4%	45.6%
Erie	3,071	37.3%	60.0%

Source: DCJS Pretrial Release Data, 2019–2024 — NewYorkCourtFile.com

What the Data Shows

Drug Sale and Weapons Offense are distinct charges with different legal elements, but defendants sometimes face questions about how they compare. Based on 109,871 New York DCJS Pretrial Release Data records from 2019–2024:

Volume: Weapons Offense is more commonly charged (59,568 cases) than Drug Sale (50,303 cases)
Dismissals: Weapons Offense has a higher average dismissal rate (47.3%) compared to Drug Sale (32.2%)
Variation: Both charges show significant variation in outcomes across New York counties — the county where a case is heard matters

These statistics reflect aggregate patterns across New York counties and do not predict individual case outcomes. The legal elements, potential consequences, and defense considerations differ between these charges. Consult a licensed New York attorney for guidance on your specific situation.

Common Questions

Drug Sale and Weapons Offense are separate charges with different legal definitions and elements. Our data shows they have different outcome patterns: Drug Sale has a 32.2% average dismissal rate while Weapons Offense has a 47.3% average dismissal rate. For information about the legal distinctions, consult a licensed New York attorney or the New York Penal Law.

Weapons Offense has a higher average dismissal rate (47.3%) compared to Drug Sale (32.2%), based on 2019–2024 New York DCJS data. However, dismissal rates vary significantly by county. Visit the individual charge pages for county-specific data.

From 2019–2024, 50,303 Drug Sale cases were recorded across 61 counties, and 59,568 Weapons Offense cases were recorded across 56 counties. View the full data on our Drug Sale and Weapons Offense pages.