Contempt of Court in Martin County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Martin County, we compared 28 Contempt of Court cases with public defenders against 23 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Private attorneys achieved a 10.3 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

7.1%
PD Dismissal Rate
28 cases
17.4%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
23 cases
+10.3 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
The data shows private attorneys achieve a 10.3 percentage point higher dismissal rate for Contempt of Court in Martin 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 28 23 11
Dismissal Rate 7.1% 17.4% 9.1%
Conviction Rate 92.9% 82.6% 72.7%
Guilty Rate 92.9% 82.6% 63.6%
Adjudication Withheld 0.0% 0.0% 9.1%
Diversion Rate 0.0% 0.0% 18.2%
Avg Sentence 6.6 months 5.7 months 2.3 months
Avg Fine $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Avg Probation 11.2 months 1 year 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 Contempt of Court is 6.6% with public defenders and 6.3% with private attorneys (-0.3 point difference). Martin County's 10.3 point difference is above the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Martin County 7.1% 17.4% +10.3 pts
Florida (Statewide) 6.6% 6.3% -0.3 pts

Other Charges in Martin County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Traffic Offense 1,172 0.6% 1,139 0.4%
Drug Possession 1,135 8.3% 911 4.9%
Other 690 37.7% 699 40.2%
DUI 527 0.2% 751 0.8%
Larceny / Theft 579 1.7% 366 0.3%
Sex Offense 449 0.4% 491 0.0%
Resisting Officer 458 2.8% 273 0.4%
Escape / Failure to Appear 567 48.5% 140 54.3%

Need a Defense Attorney in Martin County?

Get matched with a local attorney who handles Contempt of Court cases. Free, confidential, no obligation.

Frequently Asked Questions

In Martin County, private attorney clients have a 17.4% dismissal rate for Contempt of Court compared to 7.1% for public defender clients. This is a 10.3 percentage point difference based on 51 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Contempt of Court in Martin County is 92.9% with a public defender and 82.6% with a private attorney. Conviction includes both guilty findings and adjudication withheld.
Statewide, the dismissal rate is 6.6% for public defenders and 6.3% for private attorneys. Martin County's difference of 10.3 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 · 51 cases analyzed · Martin County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026