Drug Possession in Brevard County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Brevard County, we compared 556 Drug Possession cases with public defenders against 185 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Private attorneys achieved a 0.9 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

0.2%
PD Dismissal Rate
556 cases
1.1%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
185 cases
+0.9 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
The data shows private attorneys achieve a 0.9 percentage point higher dismissal rate for Drug Possession in Brevard 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 556 185
Dismissal Rate 0.2% 1.1%
Conviction Rate 97.1% 89.7%
Guilty Rate 81.3% 61.1%
Adjudication Withheld 15.8% 28.6%
Diversion Rate 1.1% 7.0%
Avg Sentence 5.2 months 8.5 months
Avg Fine $0.00 $0.00
Avg Probation 1 year, 7 months 1 year, 10 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. This data is informational and does not constitute legal advice.

Statewide Comparison

Statewide, the dismissal rate for Drug Possession is 1.0% with public defenders and 1.3% with private attorneys (0.3 point difference). Brevard County's 0.9 point difference is above the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Brevard County 0.2% 1.1% +0.9 pts
Florida (Statewide) 1.0% 1.3% +0.3 pts

Other Charges in Brevard County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Traffic Offense 668 1.2% 353 3.4%
Larceny / Theft 417 0.2% 80 1.2%
Battery 277 2.9% 122 1.6%
DUI 150 0.0% 236 2.1%
Contempt of Court 223 78.0% 84 84.5%
Other 199 2.0% 84 13.1%
Resisting Officer 196 0.5% 58 1.7%
Burglary 117 1.7% 25 0.0%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Brevard County, private attorney clients have a 1.1% dismissal rate for Drug Possession compared to 0.2% for public defender clients. This is a 0.9 percentage point difference based on 741 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Drug Possession in Brevard County is 97.1% with a public defender and 89.7% with a private attorney. Conviction includes both guilty findings and adjudication withheld.
Statewide, the dismissal rate is 1.0% for public defenders and 1.3% for private attorneys. Brevard County's difference of 0.9 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 · 741 cases analyzed · Brevard County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026