Do Private Attorneys Get Better Outcomes in Florida?
We analyzed 854,373 Florida criminal cases (2023–2025) to compare outcomes for defendants represented by public defenders vs those who hired private attorneys. The data covers 35 charge categories across all 66 counties.
Important context: Correlation is not causation. Private attorney clients may have different case characteristics, financial resources, prior records, and charge severity compared to public defender clients. These differences — not counsel type alone — may explain outcome variations. This data is informational and does not constitute legal advice.
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Outcomes by Charge Category (2025)
Click any charge to see the full county-by-county breakdown.
Per-charge figures cover 2025 cases. A charge where either counsel group had fewer than 30 cases resolved in 2025 shows multi-year figures instead, marked (2023-2025).
| Charge | PD Cases | PD Dismissal | Private Cases | Private Dismissal | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traffic Offense | 26,832 | 1.9% | 32,301 | 3.6% | +1.7 pts |
| Drug Possession | 33,413 | 1.0% | 14,859 | 1.3% | +0.3 pts |
| Larceny / Theft | 20,476 | 1.1% | 9,261 | 1.2% | +0.1 pts |
| Battery | 15,368 | 2.4% | 8,583 | 2.1% | -0.3 pts |
| Other | 12,481 | 11.2% | 10,891 | 16.9% | +5.7 pts |
| Resisting Officer | 12,120 | 2.0% | 6,407 | 1.6% | -0.4 pts |
| Trespassing | 11,412 | 4.0% | 3,290 | 5.0% | +1.0 pts |
| DUI | 5,938 | 1.2% | 8,224 | 0.8% | -0.4 pts |
| Sex Offense | 3,916 | 2.6% | 6,686 | 1.9% | -0.7 pts |
| Fraud | 5,229 | 1.4% | 3,700 | 1.5% | +0.1 pts |
| Burglary | 4,688 | 1.2% | 2,608 | 1.2% | 0.0 pts |
| Weapons Offense | 2,803 | 1.7% | 2,429 | 1.8% | +0.1 pts |
| Criminal Mischief | 3,609 | 2.2% | 1,874 | 1.2% | -1.0 pts |
| Assault | 2,563 | 2.8% | 1,653 | 1.8% | -1.0 pts |
| Hit and Run | 1,752 | 1.5% | 2,338 | 0.5% | -1.0 pts |
| Disorderly Conduct | 2,131 | 2.4% | 1,018 | 1.0% | -1.4 pts |
| Drug Sale | 1,324 | 0.9% | 1,041 | 1.0% | +0.1 pts |
| Vehicle Theft | 1,518 | 0.7% | 705 | 1.8% | +1.1 pts |
| Contempt of Court | 1,464 | 6.3% | 812 | 5.9% | -0.4 pts |
| Child Abuse / Neglect | 1,235 | 1.2% | 988 | 1.3% | +0.1 pts |
| Probation Violation | 1,576 | 3.1% | 579 | 2.9% | -0.2 pts |
| Drug Trafficking | 904 | 1.0% | 1,272 | 4.0% | +3.0 pts |
| Robbery | 922 | 1.4% | 691 | 1.3% | -0.1 pts |
| Homicide | 615 | 3.4% | 721 | 2.2% | -1.2 pts |
| Intimidation / Threats | 801 | 2.0% | 576 | 2.1% | +0.1 pts |
| Stolen Property | 715 | 2.5% | 482 | 1.9% | -0.6 pts |
| Forgery | 499 | 1.0% | 518 | 0.4% | -0.6 pts |
| Stalking | 508 | 3.5% | 446 | 2.2% | -1.3 pts |
| Perjury | 618 | 1.3% | 316 | 2.5% | +1.2 pts |
| Kidnapping | 283 | 1.4% | 305 | 1.0% | -0.4 pts |
| Escape / Failure to Appear | 387 | 30.0% | 123 | 29.3% | -0.7 pts |
| Drug Manufacturing | 104 | 0.0% | 71 | 0.0% | 0.0 pts |
| Arson | 136 | 4.4% | 64 | 3.1% | -1.3 pts |
| Domestic Violence | 50 | 2.0% | 50 | 8.0% | +6.0 pts |
| Embezzlement (2023-2025) | 67 | 1.5% | 83 | 0.0% | -1.5 pts |
Frequently Asked Questions
Conviction includes guilty pleas and adjudication withheld. Data covers 2023–2025 FDLE public court records. Last updated: September 2026
Important: Differences in outcomes between public defenders and private attorneys may reflect differences in case complexity, defendant resources, charge severity, and other factors — not solely attorney quality. These statistics do not predict individual case outcomes.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 854,373 cases analyzed · 2023-2025 · Data last updated September 2026