Child Abuse / Neglect in Orange County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Orange County, we compared 122 Child Abuse / Neglect cases with public defenders against 99 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Private attorneys achieved a 15.9 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

3.3%
PD Dismissal Rate
122 cases
19.2%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
99 cases
+15.9 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
The data shows private attorneys achieve a 15.9 percentage point higher dismissal rate for Child Abuse / Neglect in Orange County. Get matched with a local defense attorney — free, no obligation.

Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney
Total Cases 122 99
Dismissal Rate 3.3% 19.2%
Conviction Rate 73.8% 66.7%
Guilty Rate 41.8% 30.3%
Adjudication Withheld 32.0% 36.4%
Diversion Rate 11.5% 14.1%
Avg Sentence 10.0 months 1 year
Avg Fine $525.00 $0.00
Avg Probation 2.5 years 3.4 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. This data is informational and does not constitute legal advice.

Statewide Comparison

Statewide, the dismissal rate for Child Abuse / Neglect is 1.3% with public defenders and 1.6% with private attorneys (0.3 point difference). Orange County's 15.9 point difference is above the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Orange County 3.3% 19.2% +15.9 pts
Florida (Statewide) 1.3% 1.6% +0.3 pts

Other Charges in Orange County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Drug Possession 7,058 1.1% 1,080 1.2%
Traffic Offense 4,014 14.6% 3,298 11.6%
Larceny / Theft 5,124 3.0% 1,480 1.2%
DUI 1,190 2.6% 2,671 1.3%
Battery 2,384 6.2% 1,119 3.8%
Other 1,564 2.4% 1,446 2.4%
Resisting Officer 2,056 4.7% 466 2.8%
Trespassing 2,222 10.4% 248 4.8%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Orange County, private attorney clients have a 19.2% dismissal rate for Child Abuse / Neglect compared to 3.3% for public defender clients. This is a 15.9 percentage point difference based on 221 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Child Abuse / Neglect in Orange County is 73.8% with a public defender and 66.7% with a private attorney. Conviction includes both guilty findings and adjudication withheld.
Statewide, the dismissal rate is 1.3% for public defenders and 1.6% for private attorneys. Orange County's difference of 15.9 points compares to a statewide difference of 0.3 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 · 221 cases analyzed · Orange County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026