Drug Possession in Hernando County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Hernando County, we compared 849 Drug Possession cases with public defenders against 24 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Private attorneys achieved a 1.6 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

2.6%
PD Dismissal Rate
849 cases
4.2%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
24 cases
+1.6 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
The data shows private attorneys achieve a 1.6 percentage point higher dismissal rate for Drug Possession in Hernando 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 849 24 60
Dismissal Rate 2.6% 4.2% 0.0%
Conviction Rate 82.9% 66.7% 70.0%
Guilty Rate 69.1% 45.8% 30.0%
Adjudication Withheld 13.8% 20.8% 40.0%
Diversion Rate 14.3% 29.2% 30.0%
Avg Sentence 1 year, 1 months 1 year, 9 months 5 days
Avg Fine $319.38 $181.57 $135.13
Avg Probation 2.4 years 0 days 6.1 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). Hernando County's 1.6 point difference is above the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Hernando County 2.6% 4.2% +1.6 pts
Florida (Statewide) 1.0% 1.3% +0.3 pts

Other Charges in Hernando County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Battery 778 1.5% 18 0.0%
Larceny / Theft 652 0.5% 44 0.0%
Traffic Offense 428 0.0% 81 0.0%
Trespassing 312 1.0% 19 0.0%
Other 287 1.7% 26 0.0%
DUI 279 0.4% 27 0.0%

Need a Defense Attorney in Hernando County?

Get matched with a local attorney who handles Drug Possession cases. Free, confidential, no obligation.

Frequently Asked Questions

In Hernando County, private attorney clients have a 4.2% dismissal rate for Drug Possession compared to 2.6% for public defender clients. This is a 1.6 percentage point difference based on 873 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Drug Possession in Hernando County is 82.9% with a public defender and 66.7% 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. Hernando County's difference of 1.6 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 · 873 cases analyzed · Hernando County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026