Battery in Holmes County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Holmes County, we compared 49 Battery cases with public defenders against 117 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Private attorneys achieved a 2.6 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

0.0%
PD Dismissal Rate
49 cases
2.6%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
117 cases
+2.6 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
The data shows private attorneys achieve a 2.6 percentage point higher dismissal rate for Battery in Holmes County. Get matched with a local defense attorney — free, no obligation.

Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 49 117 65
Dismissal Rate 0.0% 2.6% 0.0%
Conviction Rate 98.0% 96.6% 98.5%
Guilty Rate 91.8% 77.8% 72.3%
Adjudication Withheld 6.1% 18.8% 26.2%
Diversion Rate 0.0% 0.0% 1.5%
Avg Sentence 9.8 months 1 year, 5 months 2.9 months
Avg Fine $521.31 $602.06 $168.59
Avg Probation 2.9 years 2.3 years 9.0 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. 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). Holmes County's 2.6 point difference is above the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Holmes County 0.0% 2.6% +2.6 pts
Florida (Statewide) 2.7% 1.9% -0.8 pts

Other Charges in Holmes County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Drug Possession 137 0.7% 341 1.2%
Traffic Offense 31 0.0% 190 0.5%
Other 26 0.0% 74 6.8%
Drug Sale 15 0.0% 54 0.0%
Larceny / Theft 18 0.0% 48 0.0%
Resisting Officer 15 0.0% 40 0.0%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Holmes County, private attorney clients have a 2.6% dismissal rate for Battery compared to 0.0% for public defender clients. This is a 2.6 percentage point difference based on 166 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Battery in Holmes County is 98.0% with a public defender and 96.6% 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. Holmes County's difference of 2.6 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 · 166 cases analyzed · Holmes County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026