Drug Possession in Pasco County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Pasco County, we compared 5,638 Drug Possession cases with public defenders against 1,576 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Private attorneys achieved a 0.3 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

0.1%
PD Dismissal Rate
5,638 cases
0.4%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
1,576 cases
+0.3 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
The data shows private attorneys achieve a 0.3 percentage point higher dismissal rate for Drug Possession in Pasco 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 5,638 1,576
Dismissal Rate 0.1% 0.4%
Conviction Rate 94.7% 90.4%
Guilty Rate 77.6% 66.7%
Adjudication Withheld 17.2% 23.7%
Diversion Rate 4.5% 9.1%
Avg Sentence 0 year, 12 months 2.7 years
Avg Fine $149.05 $228.93
Avg Probation 1 year, 7 months 1 year, 12 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). Pasco County's 0.3 point difference is equal to the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Pasco County 0.1% 0.4% +0.3 pts
Florida (Statewide) 1.0% 1.3% +0.3 pts

Other Charges in Pasco County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Traffic Offense 3,220 0.5% 1,863 0.2%
Battery 2,617 2.3% 1,005 0.9%
Larceny / Theft 2,368 1.0% 700 0.3%
Resisting Officer 1,536 1.5% 454 0.0%
DUI 925 2.3% 1,033 2.5%
Other 1,145 1.5% 639 0.8%
Trespassing 1,312 3.9% 122 0.0%
Fraud 770 0.6% 338 0.0%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Pasco County, private attorney clients have a 0.4% dismissal rate for Drug Possession compared to 0.1% for public defender clients. This is a 0.3 percentage point difference based on 7,214 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Drug Possession in Pasco County is 94.7% with a public defender and 90.4% 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. Pasco County's difference of 0.3 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 · 7,214 cases analyzed · Pasco County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026