Should You Hire a Private Attorney for Burglary in Florida?

We compared 15,353 Burglary cases with public defenders against 7,121 cases with private attorneys across Florida (2023-2025). Private attorneys achieved a 0.2 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

1.2%
PD Dismissal Rate
15,353 cases
1.4%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
7,121 cases
+0.2 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
The data shows private attorneys achieve a 0.2 percentage point higher dismissal rate for Burglary in Florida. 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 15,353 7,121 2,705
Dismissal Rate 1.2% 1.4% 2.7%
Conviction Rate 91.0% 86.0% 90.9%
Guilty Rate 76.9% 68.1% 77.3%
Adjudication Withheld 14.0% 18.0% 13.6%
Diversion Rate 3.1% 8.5% 1.6%
Avg Sentence 2.8 years 3.7 years 3.4 years
Avg Fine $430.50 $475.47 $242.74
Avg Probation 3.0 years 3.3 years 2.9 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+ Burglary cases.

County PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal Difference
Hillsborough 1,186 2.5% 2,551 2.0% -0.5 pts
Miami-Dade 2,738 1.2% 773 0.9% -0.3 pts
Palm Beach 1,365 0.2% 635 0.5% +0.3 pts
Duval 1,060 0.5% 455 0.2% -0.3 pts
Volusia 1,168 1.1% 335 1.5% +0.4 pts
Polk 739 0.5% 382 0.5% 0.0 pts
Pasco 736 0.5% 369 3.0% +2.5 pts
Orange 882 2.4% 176 2.8% +0.4 pts
Marion 545 0.7% 39 0.0% -0.7 pts
Leon 422 1.9% 140 0.0% -1.9 pts
Seminole 428 0.2% 129 0.8% +0.6 pts
Lake 311 1.6% 136 0.0% -1.6 pts
Alachua 329 0.0% 21 0.0% 0.0 pts
Martin 133 0.8% 143 0.0% -0.8 pts
St. Johns 180 0.6% 74 0.0% -0.6 pts
Collier 155 0.0% 94 0.0% 0.0 pts
St. Lucie 166 1.8% 75 0.0% -1.8 pts
Bay 119 1.7% 69 1.4% -0.3 pts
Monroe 59 0.0% 123 0.0% 0.0 pts
Pinellas 111 0.0% 49 0.0% 0.0 pts
Okaloosa 128 0.8% 30 0.0% -0.8 pts
Lee 115 2.6% 39 0.0% -2.6 pts
Brevard 117 1.7% 25 0.0% -1.7 pts
Citrus 105 1.0% 33 0.0% -1.0 pts

Facing Burglary Charges in Florida?

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Frequently Asked Questions

Based on 22,474 Burglary cases in Florida (2023-2025), private attorney clients have a 1.4% dismissal rate compared to 1.2% for public defender clients. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
For Burglary in Florida, the conviction rate (guilty + adjudication withheld) is 91.0% with a public defender and 86.0% with a private attorney.
For Burglary cases with sentences imposed, the average sentence is 2.8 years with a public defender and 3.7 years with a private attorney. Average fines are $430.50 (PD) vs $475.47 (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 · 22,474 cases analyzed · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026