Drug Sale in Monroe County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Monroe County, we compared 57 Drug Sale cases with public defenders against 110 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Both counsel types had similar dismissal rates.

0.0%
PD Dismissal Rate
57 cases
0.0%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
110 cases
0.0 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
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Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 57 110 7
Dismissal Rate 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Conviction Rate 96.5% 97.3% 100.0%
Guilty Rate 89.5% 89.1% 85.7%
Adjudication Withheld 7.0% 8.2% 14.3%
Diversion Rate 1.8% 1.8% 0.0%
Avg Sentence 3.7 years 2.6 years 2.5 years
Avg Fine $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Avg Probation 3.4 years 3.7 years 3.0 years

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). Monroe County's 0.0 point difference is above the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Monroe County 0.0% 0.0% 0.0 pts
Florida (Statewide) 0.8% 0.7% -0.1 pts

Other Charges in Monroe County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Traffic Offense 482 0.4% 2,653 0.5%
Other 402 1.0% 1,851 2.4%
Drug Possession 506 2.4% 1,077 0.7%
Trespassing 359 0.3% 460 0.2%
Resisting Officer 252 0.4% 519 0.8%
DUI 185 2.2% 567 2.5%
Larceny / Theft 252 0.8% 428 0.9%
Battery 174 0.0% 452 1.1%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Monroe County, private attorney clients have a 0.0% dismissal rate for Drug Sale compared to 0.0% for public defender clients. This is a 0.0 percentage point difference based on 167 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Drug Sale in Monroe County is 96.5% with a public defender and 97.3% 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. Monroe County's difference of 0.0 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 · 167 cases analyzed · Monroe County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026