Contempt of Court in Brevard County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney
115 cases compared (2025) · Brevard County courts
Updated September 2026 · 2025 data
In Brevard County, we compared 78 Contempt of Court cases with public defenders against 37 cases with private attorneys (2025). Private attorneys achieved a 9.4 percentage point higher dismissal rate.
Dismissal Rate by Counsel Type (2025)
Exhibit · Dismissal rate by counsel type, Brevard County (2025)
GapPrivate attorney clients' dismissal rate runs 9.4 points above public defender clients in Brevard County.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 115 cases · 2025 — FloridaCourtFile.com
Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney (2025)
| Metric | Public Defender | Private Attorney |
|---|---|---|
| Total Cases | 78 | 37 |
| Dismissal Rate | 74.4% | 83.8% |
| Conviction Rate | 20.5% | 16.2% |
| Guilty Rate | 17.9% | 8.1% |
| Adjudication Withheld | 2.6% | 8.1% |
| Diversion Rate | 2.6% | 0.0% |
| Avg Sentence | 3.5 months | 1 year |
| Avg Fine | $0 | $0 |
| Avg Probation | 9.7 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 (2025)
Statewide, the dismissal rate for Contempt of Court is 6.3% with public defenders and 5.9% with private attorneys (-0.4 point difference). Brevard County's 9.4 point difference is above the statewide average.
| Location | PD Dismissal | Private Dismissal | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brevard County | 74.4% | 83.8% | +9.4 pts |
| Florida (Statewide) | 6.3% | 5.9% | -0.4 pts |
Other Charges in Brevard County (2023-2025)
| Charge | PD Cases | PD Dismissal | Private Cases | Private Dismissal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traffic Offense | 660 | 1.2% | 348 | 3.4% |
| Drug Possession | 544 | 0.2% | 174 | 1.1% |
| Larceny / Theft | 409 | 0.2% | 75 | 1.3% |
| Battery | 266 | 3.0% | 114 | 1.8% |
| DUI | 143 | 0.0% | 224 | 2.2% |
| Other | 195 | 2.1% | 84 | 13.1% |
| Resisting Officer | 194 | 0.5% | 58 | 1.7% |
| Burglary | 111 | 1.8% | 24 | 0.0% |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Should you hire a private attorney for Contempt of Court in Brevard County?
In Brevard County, private attorney clients have a 83.8% dismissal rate for Contempt of Court compared to 74.4% for public defender clients. This is a 9.4 percentage point difference based on 115 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
What are the conviction rates for Contempt of Court in Brevard County by counsel type?
The conviction rate for Contempt of Court in Brevard County is 20.5% with a public defender and 16.2% with a private attorney. Conviction includes both guilty findings and adjudication withheld.
How does Brevard County compare to statewide averages for Contempt of Court counsel outcomes?
Statewide, the dismissal rate is 6.3% for public defenders and 5.9% for private attorneys. Brevard County's difference of 9.4 points compares to a statewide difference of -0.4 points.
Cite this page
FloridaCourtFile.com (2026). Contempt of Court in Brevard County, Florida — Public Defender vs Private Attorney Outcomes (2025). Based on 115 public court records; last updated September 2026. https://www.floridacourtfile.com/counsel-outcomes/contempt-of-court/brevard
Conviction includes guilty pleas and adjudication withheld. Data covers 2023–2025 FDLE public court records. Last updated: September 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 · 115 cases analyzed · Brevard County · 2025 · Data last updated September 2026