Should You Hire a Private Attorney for Disorderly Conduct in Florida?

We compared 5,980 Disorderly Conduct cases with public defenders against 2,761 cases with private attorneys across Florida (2023-2025). Public defenders achieved a 2.1 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

3.1%
PD Dismissal Rate
5,980 cases
1.0%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
2,761 cases
-2.1 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
Facing Disorderly Conduct charges in Florida?

Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 5,980 2,761 4,186
Dismissal Rate 3.1% 1.0% 1.0%
Conviction Rate 87.8% 77.2% 93.2%
Guilty Rate 63.1% 38.3% 66.5%
Adjudication Withheld 24.7% 38.9% 26.7%
Diversion Rate 7.3% 21.2% 5.5%
Avg Sentence 28 days 29 days 1.2 months
Avg Fine $154.23 $205.76 $190.20
Avg Probation 7.3 months 7.5 months 6.3 months

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+ Disorderly Conduct cases.

County PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal Difference
Volusia 884 2.7% 294 0.3% -2.4 pts
Palm Beach 645 1.9% 230 0.4% -1.5 pts
Pasco 577 1.6% 271 0.4% -1.2 pts
Hillsborough 293 7.2% 484 1.9% -5.3 pts
Miami-Dade 383 13.3% 132 2.3% -11.0 pts
Seminole 296 3.0% 101 2.0% -1.0 pts
Duval 230 0.0% 127 0.0% 0.0 pts
Monroe 110 0.0% 233 0.0% 0.0 pts
Bay 261 1.9% 60 3.3% +1.4 pts
Leon 180 2.8% 70 0.0% -2.8 pts
Polk 162 1.2% 71 0.0% -1.2 pts
St. Johns 142 3.5% 83 0.0% -3.5 pts
Martin 133 4.5% 58 3.4% -1.1 pts
Lake 111 2.7% 51 0.0% -2.7 pts
Collier 75 1.3% 68 0.0% -1.3 pts
Orange 86 8.1% 55 1.8% -6.3 pts
Nassau 91 0.0% 21 0.0% 0.0 pts
Okaloosa 63 0.0% 41 0.0% 0.0 pts
Lee 65 0.0% 30 3.3% +3.3 pts
St. Lucie 52 7.7% 32 0.0% -7.7 pts
Walton 54 1.9% 27 3.7% +1.8 pts
Santa Rosa 54 1.9% 25 4.0% +2.1 pts

Facing Disorderly Conduct Charges in Florida?

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Frequently Asked Questions

Based on 8,741 Disorderly Conduct cases in Florida (2023-2025), private attorney clients have a 1.0% dismissal rate compared to 3.1% for public defender clients. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
For Disorderly Conduct in Florida, the conviction rate (guilty + adjudication withheld) is 87.8% with a public defender and 77.2% with a private attorney.
For Disorderly Conduct cases with sentences imposed, the average sentence is 28 days with a public defender and 29 days with a private attorney. Average fines are $154.23 (PD) vs $205.76 (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 · 8,741 cases analyzed · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026