Battery in Washington County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Washington County, we compared 123 Battery cases with public defenders against 20 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Private attorneys achieved a 9.2 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

0.8%
PD Dismissal Rate
123 cases
10.0%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
20 cases
+9.2 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
The data shows private attorneys achieve a 9.2 percentage point higher dismissal rate for Battery in Washington 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 123 20 112
Dismissal Rate 0.8% 10.0% 0.0%
Conviction Rate 98.4% 90.0% 100.0%
Guilty Rate 86.2% 55.0% 80.4%
Adjudication Withheld 12.2% 35.0% 19.6%
Diversion Rate 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Avg Sentence 1 year, 3 months 5.6 months 2.5 months
Avg Fine $354.95 $138.59 $110.69
Avg Probation 2.2 years 2.5 years 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). Washington County's 9.2 point difference is above the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Washington County 0.8% 10.0% +9.2 pts
Florida (Statewide) 2.7% 1.9% -0.8 pts

Other Charges in Washington County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Drug Possession 172 0.0% 17 0.0%
Traffic Offense 60 0.0% 28 0.0%

Need a Defense Attorney in Washington County?

Get matched with a local attorney who handles Battery cases. Free, confidential, no obligation.

Frequently Asked Questions

In Washington County, private attorney clients have a 10.0% dismissal rate for Battery compared to 0.8% for public defender clients. This is a 9.2 percentage point difference based on 143 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Battery in Washington County is 98.4% with a public defender and 90.0% 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. Washington County's difference of 9.2 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 · 143 cases analyzed · Washington County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026