Should You Hire a Private Attorney for Assault in Florida?

We compared 7,781 Assault cases with public defenders against 4,114 cases with private attorneys across Florida (2023-2025). Public defenders achieved a 1.0 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

2.7%
PD Dismissal Rate
7,781 cases
1.7%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
4,114 cases
-1.0 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
Facing Assault charges in Florida?

Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 7,781 4,114 1,580
Dismissal Rate 2.7% 1.7% 2.5%
Conviction Rate 82.9% 80.2% 88.9%
Guilty Rate 62.8% 47.8% 65.4%
Adjudication Withheld 20.0% 32.5% 23.5%
Diversion Rate 7.0% 13.3% 5.9%
Avg Sentence 1 year, 6 months 1 year, 11 months 1 year, 9 months
Avg Fine $322.23 $435.80 $297.80
Avg Probation 2.3 years 2.6 years 1 year, 11 months

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+ Assault cases.

County PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal Difference
Hillsborough 625 6.4% 1,089 2.5% -3.9 pts
Miami-Dade 768 2.6% 440 0.2% -2.4 pts
Palm Beach 736 0.7% 373 1.6% +0.9 pts
Volusia 692 1.6% 289 2.4% +0.8 pts
Duval 705 1.4% 223 1.3% -0.1 pts
Orange 522 6.1% 200 3.0% -3.1 pts
Polk 335 1.8% 175 0.0% -1.8 pts
Pasco 298 2.7% 169 0.0% -2.7 pts
Leon 279 6.1% 125 0.8% -5.3 pts
Lake 178 2.2% 130 0.0% -2.2 pts
Marion 252 0.4% 46 0.0% -0.4 pts
Seminole 147 2.0% 77 0.0% -2.0 pts
Manatee 163 1.2% 27 0.0% -1.2 pts
St. Johns 122 1.6% 65 0.0% -1.6 pts
Alachua 166 0.6% 20 0.0% -0.6 pts
Collier 78 1.3% 77 1.3% 0.0 pts
Santa Rosa 125 0.8% 27 0.0% -0.8 pts
Bay 103 3.9% 37 5.4% +1.5 pts
Brevard 99 0.0% 34 5.9% +5.9 pts
Monroe 33 0.0% 87 1.1% +1.1 pts
St. Lucie 77 20.8% 40 5.0% -15.8 pts
Okaloosa 77 0.0% 38 0.0% 0.0 pts
Martin 61 1.6% 52 1.9% +0.3 pts
Lee 64 1.6% 45 2.2% +0.6 pts
Citrus 55 5.5% 28 3.6% -1.9 pts

Facing Assault Charges in Florida?

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Frequently Asked Questions

Based on 11,895 Assault cases in Florida (2023-2025), private attorney clients have a 1.7% dismissal rate compared to 2.7% for public defender clients. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
For Assault in Florida, the conviction rate (guilty + adjudication withheld) is 82.9% with a public defender and 80.2% with a private attorney.
For Assault cases with sentences imposed, the average sentence is 1 year, 6 months with a public defender and 1 year, 11 months with a private attorney. Average fines are $322.23 (PD) vs $435.80 (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 · 11,895 cases analyzed · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026