DUI in Bay County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Bay County, we compared 411 DUI cases with public defenders against 120 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Private attorneys achieved a 3.1 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

0.2%
PD Dismissal Rate
411 cases
3.3%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
120 cases
+3.1 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
The data shows private attorneys achieve a 3.1 percentage point higher dismissal rate for DUI in Bay 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 411 120 162
Dismissal Rate 0.2% 3.3% 0.0%
Conviction Rate 99.5% 96.7% 100.0%
Guilty Rate 99.0% 96.7% 100.0%
Adjudication Withheld 0.5% 0.0% 0.0%
Diversion Rate 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Avg Sentence 3.6 months 1.3 months 1.1 months
Avg Fine $1,253 $1,373 $1,235
Avg Probation 1 year 1 year 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 DUI is 1.3% with public defenders and 0.9% with private attorneys (-0.4 point difference). Bay County's 3.1 point difference is above the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Bay County 0.2% 3.3% +3.1 pts
Florida (Statewide) 1.3% 0.9% -0.4 pts

Other Charges in Bay County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Drug Possession 1,749 1.1% 515 1.9%
Traffic Offense 809 0.7% 264 0.0%
Larceny / Theft 768 0.5% 155 3.2%
Battery 735 1.6% 174 4.0%
Other 544 1.8% 123 4.1%
Resisting Officer 485 1.2% 93 2.2%
Trespassing 445 0.7% 29 3.4%
Disorderly Conduct 261 1.9% 60 3.3%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Bay County, private attorney clients have a 3.3% dismissal rate for DUI compared to 0.2% for public defender clients. This is a 3.1 percentage point difference based on 531 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for DUI in Bay County is 99.5% with a public defender and 96.7% with a private attorney. Conviction includes both guilty findings and adjudication withheld.
Statewide, the dismissal rate is 1.3% for public defenders and 0.9% for private attorneys. Bay County's difference of 3.1 points compares to a statewide difference of -0.4 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 · 531 cases analyzed · Bay County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026