Drug Possession in Palm Beach County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Palm Beach County, we compared 6,696 Drug Possession cases with public defenders against 2,370 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Public defenders achieved a 1.1 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

1.3%
PD Dismissal Rate
6,696 cases
0.2%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
2,370 cases
-1.1 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
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Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 6,696 2,370 1,224
Dismissal Rate 1.3% 0.2% 0.5%
Conviction Rate 84.1% 75.2% 55.8%
Guilty Rate 75.1% 60.7% 28.0%
Adjudication Withheld 9.0% 14.5% 27.8%
Diversion Rate 13.6% 23.8% 43.6%
Avg Sentence 5.9 months 11.6 months 2.8 months
Avg Fine $255.08 $13,125 $0.00
Avg Probation 1 year, 9 months 2.2 years 1 year, 11 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). Palm Beach County's -1.1 point difference is below the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Palm Beach County 1.3% 0.2% -1.1 pts
Florida (Statewide) 1.0% 1.3% +0.3 pts

Other Charges in Palm Beach County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Traffic Offense 17,353 0.8% 18,395 0.2%
Larceny / Theft 5,955 0.7% 2,179 0.2%
Battery 4,702 1.3% 2,357 0.7%
Trespassing 5,106 2.3% 505 0.2%
Other 3,575 1.6% 1,807 0.5%
Resisting Officer 3,879 1.6% 1,473 0.3%
DUI 1,632 0.5% 2,382 0.2%
Sex Offense 1,419 0.8% 1,336 0.4%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Palm Beach County, private attorney clients have a 0.2% dismissal rate for Drug Possession compared to 1.3% for public defender clients. This is a -1.1 percentage point difference based on 9,066 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Drug Possession in Palm Beach County is 84.1% with a public defender and 75.2% 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. Palm Beach County's difference of -1.1 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 · 9,066 cases analyzed · Palm Beach County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026