Battery in Hernando County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Hernando County, we compared 778 Battery cases with public defenders against 18 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Public defenders achieved a 1.5 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

1.5%
PD Dismissal Rate
778 cases
0.0%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
18 cases
-1.5 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
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Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 778 18 11
Dismissal Rate 1.5% 0.0% 0.0%
Conviction Rate 72.1% 44.4% 90.9%
Guilty Rate 58.9% 22.2% 81.8%
Adjudication Withheld 13.2% 22.2% 9.1%
Diversion Rate 23.7% 50.0% 9.1%
Avg Sentence 11.7 months 6.3 months 1.3 months
Avg Fine $241.64 $276.84 $135.50
Avg Probation 1 year, 11 months 1 year, 2 months 1 year

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. This data is informational and does not constitute legal advice.

Statewide Comparison

Statewide, the dismissal rate for Battery is 2.7% with public defenders and 1.9% with private attorneys (-0.8 point difference). Hernando County's -1.5 point difference is below the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Hernando County 1.5% 0.0% -1.5 pts
Florida (Statewide) 2.7% 1.9% -0.8 pts

Other Charges in Hernando County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Drug Possession 849 2.6% 24 4.2%
Larceny / Theft 652 0.5% 44 0.0%
Traffic Offense 428 0.0% 81 0.0%
Trespassing 312 1.0% 19 0.0%
Other 287 1.7% 26 0.0%
DUI 279 0.4% 27 0.0%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Hernando County, private attorney clients have a 0.0% dismissal rate for Battery compared to 1.5% for public defender clients. This is a -1.5 percentage point difference based on 796 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Battery in Hernando County is 72.1% with a public defender and 44.4% with a private attorney. Conviction includes both guilty findings and adjudication withheld.
Statewide, the dismissal rate is 2.7% for public defenders and 1.9% for private attorneys. Hernando County's difference of -1.5 points compares to a statewide difference of -0.8 points.

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 · 796 cases analyzed · Hernando County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026