Drug Possession in Duval County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Duval County, we compared 10,372 Drug Possession cases with public defenders against 3,439 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Both counsel types had similar dismissal rates.

0.1%
PD Dismissal Rate
10,372 cases
0.1%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
3,439 cases
0.0 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
Facing Drug Possession charges in Duval County?

Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 10,372 3,439 2,739
Dismissal Rate 0.1% 0.1% 0.6%
Conviction Rate 99.4% 98.7% 98.5%
Guilty Rate 77.6% 72.7% 51.3%
Adjudication Withheld 21.8% 26.1% 47.2%
Diversion Rate 0.2% 0.8% 0.8%
Avg Sentence 6.6 months 1 year, 5 months 28 days
Avg Fine $160.36 $360.27 $105.56
Avg Probation 1 year, 2 months 1 year, 6 months 9.9 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). Duval County's 0.0 point difference is below the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Duval County 0.1% 0.1% 0.0 pts
Florida (Statewide) 1.0% 1.3% +0.3 pts

Other Charges in Duval County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Traffic Offense 3,850 2.4% 5,588 0.6%
Other 4,645 0.2% 1,460 0.3%
Larceny / Theft 4,355 0.2% 1,213 0.0%
Battery 4,027 0.5% 1,301 0.2%
Resisting Officer 3,265 0.2% 987 0.2%
DUI 1,891 0.3% 1,500 0.3%
Trespassing 2,023 0.3% 309 0.0%
Weapons Offense 1,234 0.2% 1,008 0.1%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Duval County, private attorney clients have a 0.1% dismissal rate for Drug Possession compared to 0.1% for public defender clients. This is a 0.0 percentage point difference based on 13,811 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Drug Possession in Duval County is 99.4% with a public defender and 98.7% 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. Duval County's difference of 0.0 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 · 13,811 cases analyzed · Duval County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026