Drug Sale in Leon County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Leon County, we compared 102 Drug Sale cases with public defenders against 70 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Private attorneys achieved a 0.4 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

1.0%
PD Dismissal Rate
102 cases
1.4%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
70 cases
+0.4 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
The data shows private attorneys achieve a 0.4 percentage point higher dismissal rate for Drug Sale in Leon 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 102 70 2
Dismissal Rate 1.0% 1.4% 0.0%
Conviction Rate 83.3% 97.1% 100.0%
Guilty Rate 73.5% 82.9% 100.0%
Adjudication Withheld 9.8% 14.3% 0.0%
Diversion Rate 2.9% 1.4% 0.0%
Avg Sentence 1 year, 5 months 1 year, 3 months 6 days
Avg Fine $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Avg Probation 3.0 years 3.0 years 0 days

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 Sale is 0.8% with public defenders and 0.7% with private attorneys (-0.1 point difference). Leon County's 0.4 point difference is above the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Leon County 1.0% 1.4% +0.4 pts
Florida (Statewide) 0.8% 0.7% -0.1 pts

Other Charges in Leon County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Drug Possession 2,006 1.3% 943 0.5%
Traffic Offense 1,864 0.9% 905 0.3%
Larceny / Theft 1,829 2.1% 466 0.0%
Battery 1,345 5.2% 497 2.2%
Trespassing 1,458 2.4% 125 1.6%
Resisting Officer 1,074 3.6% 288 3.1%
Other 679 3.1% 425 2.6%
Fraud 526 4.2% 229 2.2%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Leon County, private attorney clients have a 1.4% dismissal rate for Drug Sale compared to 1.0% for public defender clients. This is a 0.4 percentage point difference based on 172 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Drug Sale in Leon County is 83.3% with a public defender and 97.1% with a private attorney. Conviction includes both guilty findings and adjudication withheld.
Statewide, the dismissal rate is 0.8% for public defenders and 0.7% for private attorneys. Leon County's difference of 0.4 points compares to a statewide difference of -0.1 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 · 172 cases analyzed · Leon County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026