Drug Possession in Martin County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Martin County, we compared 1,135 Drug Possession cases with public defenders against 911 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Public defenders achieved a 3.4 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

8.3%
PD Dismissal Rate
1,135 cases
4.9%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
911 cases
-3.4 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
Facing Drug Possession charges in Martin County?

Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 1,135 911 243
Dismissal Rate 8.3% 4.9% 2.5%
Conviction Rate 80.3% 82.8% 94.2%
Guilty Rate 67.3% 65.5% 60.9%
Adjudication Withheld 13.0% 17.2% 33.3%
Diversion Rate 4.4% 3.0% 2.5%
Avg Sentence 1 year, 5 months 2.4 years 5.2 months
Avg Fine $1,804 $325.00 $353.64
Avg Probation 1 year, 2 months 1 year, 8 months 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 Drug Possession is 1.0% with public defenders and 1.3% with private attorneys (0.3 point difference). Martin County's -3.4 point difference is below the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Martin County 8.3% 4.9% -3.4 pts
Florida (Statewide) 1.0% 1.3% +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%
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%
Battery 455 4.4% 226 3.1%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Martin County, private attorney clients have a 4.9% dismissal rate for Drug Possession compared to 8.3% for public defender clients. This is a -3.4 percentage point difference based on 2,046 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Drug Possession in Martin County is 80.3% with a public defender and 82.8% 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. Martin County's difference of -3.4 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 · 2,046 cases analyzed · Martin County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026