DUI in Hardee County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Hardee County, we compared 56 DUI cases with public defenders against 44 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Public defenders achieved a 3.6 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

3.6%
PD Dismissal Rate
56 cases
0.0%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
44 cases
-3.6 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
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Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 56 44 5
Dismissal Rate 3.6% 0.0% 0.0%
Conviction Rate 96.4% 100.0% 100.0%
Guilty Rate 96.4% 100.0% 100.0%
Adjudication Withheld 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Diversion Rate 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Avg Sentence 1.9 months 1.1 months 14 days
Avg Fine $882.09 $830.59 $1,000
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). Hardee County's -3.6 point difference is below the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Hardee County 3.6% 0.0% -3.6 pts
Florida (Statewide) 1.3% 0.9% -0.4 pts

Other Charges in Hardee County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Traffic Offense 312 6.7% 142 0.7%
Battery 156 14.1% 17 0.0%
Other 70 2.9% 20 5.0%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Hardee County, private attorney clients have a 0.0% dismissal rate for DUI compared to 3.6% for public defender clients. This is a -3.6 percentage point difference based on 100 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for DUI in Hardee County is 96.4% with a public defender and 100.0% 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. Hardee County's difference of -3.6 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 · 100 cases analyzed · Hardee County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026