Should You Hire a Private Attorney for Arson in Florida?

We compared 379 Arson cases with public defenders against 175 cases with private attorneys across Florida (2023-2025). Public defenders achieved a 1.3 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

2.4%
PD Dismissal Rate
379 cases
1.1%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
175 cases
-1.3 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
Facing Arson charges in Florida?

Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 379 175 35
Dismissal Rate 2.4% 1.1% 0.0%
Conviction Rate 76.5% 74.9% 91.4%
Guilty Rate 69.7% 53.7% 91.4%
Adjudication Withheld 6.9% 21.1% 0.0%
Diversion Rate 1.1% 10.3% 2.9%
Avg Sentence 5.2 years 7.9 years 6.3 years
Avg Fine $373.67 $698.02 $199.84
Avg Probation 4.7 years 4.9 years 5.1 years

Important context: Correlation is not causation. Private attorney clients may differ from public defender clients in income, prior criminal history, charge severity, and willingness to go to trial. These factors independently affect outcomes. Public defenders carry heavier caseloads but have deep institutional knowledge of local courts. This data is informational and does not constitute legal advice.

County-by-County Breakdown

Counties where both public defenders and private attorneys handled 20+ Arson cases.

County PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal Difference
Miami-Dade 59 3.4% 25 4.0% +0.6 pts
Hillsborough 23 4.3% 45 0.0% -4.3 pts

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Frequently Asked Questions

Based on 554 Arson cases in Florida (2023-2025), private attorney clients have a 1.1% dismissal rate compared to 2.4% for public defender clients. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
For Arson in Florida, the conviction rate (guilty + adjudication withheld) is 76.5% with a public defender and 74.9% with a private attorney.
For Arson cases with sentences imposed, the average sentence is 5.2 years with a public defender and 7.9 years with a private attorney. Average fines are $373.67 (PD) vs $698.02 (private).

Conviction includes guilty pleas and adjudication withheld. Data covers 2023–2025 FDLE public court records. Last updated: March 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 · 554 cases analyzed · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026